Fox News National Has Officially Become Unwatchable
- 17GEN4
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
Fox News Viewership Statistics
Fox News Channel (FNC) remains the top-rated cable news network, marking its 24th consecutive year as the leader in January 2026. Despite some post-election fluctuations, it continues to outperform competitors like MSNBC and CNN in key metrics. Here's a summary of recent viewership data, drawn from Nielsen ratings and network reports:
Primetime Viewership (8-11 PM ET)
In January 2026, FNC averaged 2.4 million total viewers on weekdays, surpassing broadcast networks like CBS (2.2 million).
This represented an 11% increase in total viewers and a 24% jump in the Adults 25-54 (A25-54) demographic compared to December 2025.
For the full year of 2025 (a non-election year), primetime averaged 2.652 million total viewers, up 11% from 2024, making it FNC's highest-rated non-election year ever.
In the A25-54 demo, it averaged 278,000 viewers.
Q4 2025 saw 2.070 million total primetime viewers, with 190,000 in A25-54.
October 2025 primetime averaged 228,000 in A25-54, down 36% year-over-year but still leading competitors.
Total Day Viewership
January 2026 averaged 1.45 million viewers, down 24% from January 2025 (which benefited from post-2024 election momentum).
FNC still dominated, compared to MSNBC's 589,000 (up 16%) and CNN's 510,000 (up from prior periods).
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Full 2025 averaged 2.759 million viewers across the network, ranking it #5 among all TV networks (behind CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox broadcast).
Top Programs and Milestones
FNC swept the top five cable news programs in total viewers for January 2026:
Rank | Program | Average Viewers |
1 | The Five | 3.7 million |
2 | Jesse Watters Primetime | Not specified in recent data, but part of top lineup |
3 | Hannity | Not specified, but consistently high |
4 | Gutfeld! | Not specified, but late-night leader |
5 | The Ingraham Angle | Not specified |
Digitally, Fox News saw 4.5 billion video views in 2025, a 69% increase from 2024, outpacing all news brands and broadcast networks.
Overall, while there were declines in some metrics post-2024 election (e.g., 26% drop in total viewers from 2025 in certain comparisons),
FNC's 2025 growth and ongoing dominance indicate sustained audience loyalty.
Changes in Fox News Programming
Fox News has made several adjustments to its lineup in 2025 and early 2026, focusing on weekends, executive roles, and special events. These shifts aim to expand news and opinion coverage while elevating newer personalities. Key updates include:
Weekday Changes (Effective January 2025): Will Cain moved from FOX & Friends Weekend to host The Will Cain Show at 4 PM ET. Charlie Hurt replaced Cain on the weekend show.
Weekend Overhaul (Effective September 20, 2025): A major revamp ended MediaBuzz (hosted by Howard Kurtz, who transitioned to a political media analyst role). New additions:
Saturday in America (10 AM-12 PM ET Saturdays), hosted by Kayleigh McEnany (former Trump press secretary and Outnumbered co-host).
Griff Jenkins joined FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10 AM ET Saturdays/Sundays) as co-host with Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt.
The Sunday Briefing (11 AM-12 PM ET Sundays), anchored alternately by Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich.
The Big Weekend Show expanded to three hours (5-8 PM ET Saturdays/Sundays), with Johnny "Joey" Jones and Tomi Lahren named as two of four rotating co-hosts.
Executive Promotions (January 2026):
FOX News Media elevated several leaders, including Brett Zoeller to VP of Primetime Programming and Bryan Rohrbeck to EVP of Washington News and Programming (overseeing Special Report with Bret Baier, FOX News Sunday, and FOX News @ Night). These changes emphasize political coverage and viewership growth.
Special Programming: For New Year's Eve 2025-2026, FNC aired specials like Who Can Forget 2025? (8 PM ET), A New Year with Kat & Tyrus (9 PM ET), and Jimmy Failla’s All-American New Year’s Bash (11 PM ET), featuring personalities like Tomi Lahren and Jimmy Failla.
The current primetime lineup (as of February 2026) remains stable with shows like Jesse Watters Primetime (8 PM), Hannity (9 PM), and Gutfeld! (10 PM), while weekends emphasize ensemble discussions and fresh faces.
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These updates reflect efforts to refresh content amid strong ratings.
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