Fox News Channel wallops CNN, MS NOW viewership during first quarter of 2026

Fox News Channel dominated the first quarter of 2026, topping all of cable for the 20th consecutive quarter while beating CBS among weekday primetime viewers. 

Fox News averaged 1.7 million total day viewers during the jam-packed news cycle, compared to 691,000 for MS NOW and 577,000 for CNN. 

During primetime, Fox News averaged 2.6 million viewers, while MS NOW managed 1.1 million and CNN settled for only 797,000. It was the 97th straight quarter that Fox News topped cable news primetime viewership, and the network also outdrew ESPN despite the inclusion of college football and the NFL playoffs.

Fox News commanded nearly 60% of the cable news audience in both total day and primetime.

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It was much of the same among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54. Fox News averaged 172,000 total day viewers among the critical group, compared to 101,000 for CNN and only 72,000 for MS NOW. 

Fox News' primetime lineup brought in 265,000 demo viewers, while CNN delivered 156,000 and MS NOW averaged only 114,000. 

Along the way, Fox News aired 14 of the top 15 shows on cable news with viewers, posting double-digit increases across every hour quarter-over-quarter.

"The Five," with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., extended its historic run as the first non-primetime program to rank as the most watched show in cable news for 18 consecutive quarters by averaging 4 million total viewers and 354,000 in the key demo. 

"Special Report with Bret Baier" averaged more than 3 million viewers and 289,000 in the demo to outdraw "CBS Evening News" in 19 major markets, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

"The Ingraham Angle," "Jesse Watters Primetime," Hannity" and "FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher" each dominated cable news competition in their time slots, while nearly all Fox News offerings scored their highest-rated quarter in a year.

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"Gutfeld!" averaged 3 million viewers to beat all broadcast and late-night television, including CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," NBC's "Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" 

During primetime on weekdays, Fox News averaged nearly 3 million total viewers while CBS settled for 2.9 million. 

"America's Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer," "The Faulkner Focus," Outnumbered," "America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith," "The Story with Martha MacCallum" and "The Will Cain Show" each crushed cable news competitors and even outdrew a variety of free TV options such as "CBS Mornings," ABC's "GMA3" and NBC's "Today with Jenna and Sheinelle."

"FOX & Friends" averaged 1.4 million viewers to crush cable news morning show competition, while beating "CBS Mornings" in 23 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Boston. 

"FOX & Friends FIRST" and "FOX & Friends Weekends" also thrived, helping the FOX & Friends franchise remain the most-watched morning lineup on cable news throughout the quarter.

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Kayleigh McEnany's "Saturday in America" drew 2.3 million viewers as "FOX News Live with Aishah Hasnie," "The Big Weekend Show," "My View with Lara Trump," "FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla" and "Life, Liberty & Levin" each helped the network outshine the competition on Saturdays.

Maria Bartiromo's "Sunday Morning Futures" was the top-rated cable news program on Sundays with 2 million total viewers, while "The Sunday Briefing" with rotating anchors Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich continued to grow the time slot by double digits.

"Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy," "Life, Liberty & Levin" and "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade" each had strong quarters to help Fox News dominate Sundays, too. 

Fox News also ranked as the fastest-growing network in all of television among primetime viewers and secured the top spot in cable among Hispanic and Asian audiences in total day for both the first quarter of 2026 and the month of March. 

 Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Medi Research.