Fox News Outperformed MSNBC and CNN in Terms of Viewership in Oct

In October, as the 2024 election season heated up, Fox News Channel viewership outperformed MSNBC and CNN.

October was another busy news month, with the election battle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump dominating headlines. Americans turned to Fox News Channel for information and analysis, with the network averaging 1.6 million total day viewers to finish first among all cable providers.

Fox News was the only cable station to achieve one million viewers, while MSNBC ended second with 903,000 average viewers and ESPN third with 811,000. CNN achieved only 532,000 average viewers in October, accounting for roughly one-third of Fox News' audience. 

Fox News also finished first between 8 and 11 p.m. ET, with an average of 2.8 million primetime viewers, outperforming cable news competition. ESPN was second with 2.3 million viewers, followed by TBS, MSNBC, and Fox Sports 1. CNN ranked sixth in the category with an average of 830,000 viewers between 8 and 11 p.m. ET.  

When it comes to the advertiser-coveted category of adults aged 25-54, Fox News had an average of 212,000 total day viewers, while CNN had 100,000 and MSNBC had only 97,000. During primetime, Fox News had an average of 359,000 demo viewers, while CNN had 175,000 and MSNBC had 160,000. 

Fox News has now outperformed CNN and MSNBC in every category for 44 consecutive months. 

"The Five," starring Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro, and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., was the most-watched cable news show, with an average of 3.6 million viewers.

Bret Baier's "Special Report" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris received a whopping 9.2 million total viewers, making it the most-watched non-primetime interview in cable news history. Fox News' "Special Report" anchor Bret Baier's interview with Vice President Kamala Harris received 9.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-primetime interview in cable news history. 

"America Reports" with Sandra Smith and John Roberts, Martha MacCallum's "The Story" and "Your World with Neil Cavuto" all outperformed CNN and MSNBC, with Fox News hosting the top 12 most-watched programs. 

MSNBC's top show was "Deadline: White House," which ranked 13th in cable news. CNN's most popular show, "Anderson Cooper 360," finished 26th, trailing 14 Fox News shows and 11 MSNBC offerings. 

"Jesse Watters Primetime" won the demo crown, dominating cable news with 454,000 average viewers among the advertiser-coveted demographic. 

On October 16, "Special Report" host Bret Baier's interview with Harris received a startling 9.2 million total viewers, making it the most-watched non-primetime interview in cable news history.

"FOX & Friends," "FOX & Friends First," and "FOX News @ Night" also had successful months, with Fox News airing 94 of the top 100 cable news telecasts of the month. "The Big Weekend Show" was the most-watched cable news show on both Saturdays and Sundays in October. 

Fox News' simulcast of the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had an average of nearly 11 million people.

Fox News maintained the top cable news network among upscale, Hispanic, and Asian viewers for total day viewership as well as the key demo. Furthermore, Nielsen MRI Fusion data shows that Fox News continues to be watched by more Independents and Democrats than any other network.