For the 54th consecutive month, Fox News Channel maintained its dominance in cable news during July, outperforming other networks and recording its best performance in terms of total viewership and key demographics. According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News averaged 1.5 million total day viewers, leading all other news outlets, including broadcast networks, as the channel continues its streak of cable news dominance. During primetime hours, Fox News attracted 2.4 million viewers, nearly double the audience of its closest competitor, MSNBC, which averaged 865,000 viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET.
CNN, on the other hand, faced its worst July on record as the network managed only 370,000 average total day viewers and had a dismal primetime audience of 497,000. The network finished behind several other cable offerings, including ESPN, HGTV, and Hallmark, and failed to compete even with MSNBC in the critical 25-54 demographic where Fox News led with an average of 184,000 viewers, compared to CNN’s 62,000. The network’s performance was also reflected in its program ratings, as “The Rachel Maddow Show” averaged 2 million viewers, but only aired three times during the month.
While Fox News dominated the cable news landscape, it also outperformed broadcast networks during primetime. NBC managed an average of 2.1 million viewers, while CBS and ABC settled for 2 million apiece. Since the start of summer on June 20, Fox News has led the broadcast networks in primetime, with an average of 2.6 million viewers, outpacing ABC’s 2.3 million, NBC’s 2.1 million, and CBS’s 2 million. The network’s success was highlighted by its primetime lineup, which included popular programs such as ‘The Five,’ ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ ‘Gutfeld!,’ ‘Hannity,’ and ‘The Ingraham Angle,’ all of which outdrew competing networks.
Among these, ‘The Five,’ featuring Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov, and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.5 million total viewers and 378,000 among the 25-54 demographic. The show’s success was further bolstered by its consistent performance in both total viewership and demographic segments. Meanwhile, ‘Gutfeld!’ outdrew the now-former late-night program ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ despite the latter’s free advertising due to the announcement of its 2026 cancellation.
Despite the significant competition, Fox News maintained its top-tier position, with ‘FOX & Friends’ remaining the No. 1 cable news program in the mornings, averaging 1.3 million viewers and 169,000 in the 25-54 demographic. Other successful programs, such as ‘America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino,’ ‘The Faulkner Focus,’ ‘Outnumbered,’ and ‘The Story with Martha MacCallum,’ also contributed to the network’s continued success. The network’s weekend programming, including ‘The Big Weekend Show’ and ‘Sunday Morning Futures,’ also performed strongly, with the former averaging 1.5 million viewers and the latter reaching 1.7 million.
Furthermore, Fox News was No. 1 among cable news with Asian, Hispanic, and upscale viewers, reinforcing its broad appeal across different demographics. This month’s ratings also saw the channel outperform all competitors for the first time in over five decades. Overall, the network’s performance during July highlighted its stronghold in the news landscape, solidifying its position as the leader in both total viewership and key demographics. CNN’s poor performance during the same period, by contrast, marked a historic low for the network, signaling a significant shift in the cable news market.