Big Weekend Show Tops Ratings
Fox News Dominates Weekend Cable News Ratings: A Deep Dive
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Fox News Channel (FNC) continued its reign as the most-watched cable news network this past weekend, significantly outpacing CNN and MSNBC in both total day and prime-time viewership. Let’s break down the numbers and explore what drove this continued success. We’ll look at key program performances and what these ratings mean for the future of cable news.
Weekend Ratings Overview: Fox news Leads the Pack
The latest Nielsen ratings reveal a clear preference for FNC among cable news viewers.Here’s a snapshot of the overall performance:
Total Day: FNC averaged 1.196 million total viewers, dwarfing CNN’s 406,000 and MSNBC’s 310,000.
Prime Time: The gap widened during prime-time hours, with FNC pulling in 1.446 million viewers compared to CNN’s 345,000 and MSNBC’s 260,000.
These numbers demonstrate FNC’s consistent ability to attract and retain a larger audience than its competitors. But what’s driving this dominance? Let’s dive into the performance of individual programs.
Key program Performances: A Closer Look
Several FNC programs stood out as major contributors to the network’s overall success.
4 PM – 7 PM: Building Momentum
The afternoon block saw strong performances, setting the stage for a dominant evening.
4 PM: Scott led the way with 1.358 million viewers, significantly ahead of CNN’s CNN Newsroom/Whitfield (618,000) and MSNBC’s Best People (364,000).
5 PM: Levin continued the momentum, attracting 993,000 viewers. CNN’s CNN Newsroom garnered 656,000, while Sharpton on MSNBC reached 398,000.
6 PM & 7 PM: Big Weekend Show consistently delivered, averaging 1.412 million and 1.622 million viewers respectively. CNN’s CNN Newsroom averaged around 511,000-513,000 during these hours, and MSNBC’s Weekend averaged 309,000-352,000.
Prime Time Powerhouse: 8 PM – 11 PM
FNC’s prime-time lineup solidified its led, showcasing a range of popular hosts and compelling content.
8 PM: Levin drew in 1.368 million viewers, outperforming CNN’s CNN Newsroom (424,000) and MSNBC’s Weekend (284,000).
9 PM: Gowdy was a standout performer, attracting 1.580 million viewers. The Whole Story on CNN reached 321,000, while Leguizamo on MSNBC had 257,000.
10 PM: Kilmeade continued the strong showing with 1.388 million viewers,beating CNN’s The Whole Story (288,000) and MSNBC’s Psaki (239,000).
11 PM: Big Weekend Show (re-air) maintained a solid audience with 942,000 viewers, while CNN’s CNN Newsroom* (