Fox News Channel delivered a record-breaking year in 2024, finishing the year with its highest share of the cable news audience since 2015. In a year defined by chaotic political events, ongoing international conflicts, and major stories involving the U.S. election and high-profile public figures, Fox News surged to the top of cable news ratings, continuing its dominance in both total day and primetime viewership.
The year 2024 was unlike any other in modern American politics. It saw President Joe Biden suffer a disastrous performance in a presidential debate, leading to his withdrawal from the race. Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the Democratic nominee without a primary. On the other side, President-elect Donald Trump endured a pair of assassination attempts and faced multiple political and legal challenges, ultimately securing a decisive victory in November.
In 2024, Fox News outpaced all other cable news networks, averaging 1.5 million total day viewers and 2.4 million primetime viewers—a 21% increase in total day viewers and a 30% jump in primetime compared to 2023. This marks the ninth consecutive year Fox News has been No. 1 in both categories. The network’s viewership share peaked at 56% in primetime and 53% in total day.
According to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, the network’s success in 2024 was driven by its “unrivaled reporting and analysis” of a tumultuous political cycle, global conflicts, and major breaking news events. “Millions of viewers across the political spectrum continued to tune into Fox News Channel for our unrivaled reporting and analysis,” Scott said. “I am extremely proud of our entire team for proving once again why we are the nation’s most-watched network.”
In stark contrast to Fox’s growth, its competitors saw significant viewership declines. MSNBC averaged only 791,000 total day viewers, while CNN lagged even further behind with just 481,000 viewers. The ratings gap was even wider in primetime: MSNBC averaged 1.2 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET, and CNN managed just 685,000 viewers during the same period.
Fox News, meanwhile, topped both networks combined, holding 73% of the primetime audience in 2024. Fox News also dominated in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, averaging 186,000 total day viewers and 298,000 primetime viewers in this key demographic. CNN and MSNBC trailed significantly, with CNN securing just 91,000 total day demo viewers and MSNBC trailing with only 84,000.
“The Five,” which features Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, and Jeanine Pirro, continued its reign as the No. 1 show on cable news for the third consecutive year, averaging an impressive 3.4 million viewers. It also made history by becoming the first non-primetime show to attract over 4 million viewers during its highest-rated fourth quarter.
Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” and “Hannity” also consistently outdrew competitors across both total viewers and key demo groups. In fact, Fox News finished the year with the 12 most-watched shows on cable news, further solidifying its dominance in the industry.
On election night, Fox News garnered nearly 13.6 million viewers overall, with 4.4 million in the key demo. Its broadcast of Kamala Harris’s concession speech also became the most-watched broadcast following the election, attracting nearly 8 million viewers.
Fox News also made history during the Republican National Convention, drawing a record-breaking 10.4 million total viewers and 2 million in the key demo from 10-11 p.m. ET.
After the 2024 election, both CNN and MSNBC experienced significant drops in viewership, with some of their lowest ratings in years. CNN saw its audience plummet to historic lows, while MSNBC’s primetime audience dwindled by more than half compared to pre-election levels. Experts suggest this decline could be attributed to a growing loss of trust in the networks’ analysis and reporting after Trump’s stunning victory, leaving CNN and MSNBC struggling to retain their audience. This post-election dip in ratings highlights a deeper issue for these networks: their increasing challenge in maintaining credibility and relevance in an era of intense political polarization and media fragmentation.
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A question on the Fox News Dominates piece. How can Fox average total day viewers (1.5 million) be less than the average prime time viewers (2.4 million)? Is the total “day” viewers not really the count for the whole day, instead just “daytime”?
Thanks
Sorry, but you left out Newsmax, and their ratings.