Fox News Dominates CNN, MSNBC Viewership in Early 2026
Fox News led cable ratings in the first quarter of 2026. The channel topped all cable outlets for the twentieth straight quarter.
Overall audience figures
Filmogaz.com analysis of Nielsen Media Research shows Fox News far ahead in total day and primetime. Fox averaged 1.7 million viewers in total day.
- CNN averaged 577,000 total day viewers.
- MSNBC averaged 691,000 total day viewers.
- In primetime, Fox averaged 2.6 million viewers.
- MSNBC averaged 1.1 million primetime viewers.
- CNN averaged 797,000 primetime viewers.
Market share and growth
Fox News captured roughly 60 percent of the cable news audience in total day and primetime. The network was the fastest-growing broadcast network in primetime.
Fox also outdrew ESPN during the quarter, despite college football and NFL playoff coverage. Nielsen data recorded double-digit quarter-over-quarter increases across every hour.
Key demographic performance
Advertisers watch adults 25-54 closely. Fox led that demo in total day and primetime.
- Adults 25-54 total day: Fox 172,000; CNN 101,000; MSNBC 72,000.
- Adults 25-54 primetime: Fox 265,000; CNN 156,000; MSNBC 114,000.
Top programs
Fox News ran 14 of the top 15 cable news programs in the quarter. Several shows posted their best quarterly ratings in a year.
- “The Five” averaged about 4 million viewers and 354,000 in the demo. It remained the most-watched cable news show for 18 consecutive quarters.
- “Gutfeld!” averaged roughly 3 million viewers, beating late-night broadcast rivals.
- “Special Report with Bret Baier” averaged over 3 million viewers and 289,000 in the demo.
- Other weekday draws included “The Ingraham Angle,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity,” and “FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher.”
Weekday lineup and morning shows
Weekday primetime on Fox averaged nearly 3 million viewers. CBS averaged about 2.9 million in the same slot.
Morning programming also performed strongly. “FOX & Friends” averaged 1.4 million viewers and beat “CBS Mornings” in 23 markets.
- Top morning markets included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Boston.
- “FOX & Friends FIRST” and “FOX & Friends Weekends” helped the franchise remain the most-watched morning lineup on cable news.
Weekend performance
Weekend shows contributed to Fox’s dominance. Kayleigh McEnany’s “Saturday in America” drew about 2.3 million viewers.
- Other weekend contributors included “FOX News Live with Aishah Hasnie,” “The Big Weekend Show,” “My View with Lara Trump,” and “FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla.”
- On Sundays, “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo led with roughly 2 million viewers.
- Shows such as “The Sunday Briefing,” “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy,” and “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade” also had strong quarters.
Market takeaways
Fox News outperformed cable rivals across demographics and time slots. The network also topped cable among Hispanic and Asian audiences in total day.
These results covered the first quarter of 2026 and the month of March specifically. Nielsen Media Research supplied the ratings data.
Fox News dominated CNN and MSNBC viewership in early 2026, according to the Nielsen figures filed with Filmogaz.com.
