TAMPA, Fla. — Fox News dominated television news ratings on the first night of the Republican National Convention.
Replicating its 2004 and 2008 successes, the top-rated cable news channel once again defeated its broadcast competition, at least during prime time coverage.
10-11PM Coverage
FNC: 6,878,804 viewers (1,679,763 in 25-54)
NBC: 4,770,050 viewers (1,725,282 in 25-54)
CBS: 3,118,927 viewers (938,237 in 25-54)
ABC: 2,862,656 viewers (920,346 in 25-54)
CNN: 1,473,885 viewers (413,467 in 25-54)
MSNBC: 1,468,348 viewers (411,738 in 25-54)
*Note: NBC went from 10-11:05PM and ABC and CBS went from 10-11:03PM
As far as the cable networks, which carried convention coverage throughout the day, Fox News soundly defeated CNN and MSNBC by wide margins.
8-11PM Primetime Coverage
FNC: 5,150,407 viewers (1,174,242 in 25-54)
CNN: 1,200,690 viewers (368,811 in 25-54)
MSNBC: 1,316,619 viewers (337,562 in 25-54)
One other metric showed a dominant Fox News with a peak audience outpacing its cable competition, both in overall audience and in the 25-54 age demographic.
PEAKS
*FNC peaked at 10:45-11PM ET with 7.2 million viewers and 1.8 million Adults 25-54
*CNN peaked from 10:15-10:30PM ET with 1.5 million viewers and 451,000 Adults 25-54.
*MSNBC peaked from 11-11:15PM ET with 1.8 million viewers and 555,000 Adults 25-54.