While the coronavirus pandemic has upended television programming and viewing in a litany of ways, one thing has remained the same, which has been the Fox News Channel's domance as the most-watched network in the cable TV industry.
FNC also continued its beatdown of liberal rivals MSNBC and CNN in total day numbers, primetime ratings, and the coveted advertising viewership of people between 25 years of age and 54 years old.
According to an FNC press release with data coming from Nielsen Media Research, the network "advanced its streak" over the competition "to 20 straight weeks in total day and for 18 weeks in a row in primetime among total viewers."
During the week of May 18 alone, FNC delivered 1.7 million viewers in total day viewership and just under 3.1 million viewers in primetime. MSNBC came in second with 1.08 million in total day and 1.8 million in primetime. Of course, CNN was significantly behind both.
Speaking of CNN and MSNBC, ratings for their respective 9:00 p.m. Eastern shows Cuomo Prime Time and The Rachel Maddow Show went in the wrong direction (for them, at least) (click "expand"):
Meanwhile on the competing networks, CNN’s highest-rated telecast, Cuomo Prime Time at 9PM/ET, ranked 19th in total viewers. Notably, the program also marked its lowest-rated week to date during COVID-19 coverage, down a staggering 49 percent in the younger demographic and down 52 percent with A18-49, and decreasing every week in the key 25-54 demo since the week of March 30th. The show also delivered under 490,000 for the fourth consecutive week and was even outpaced by MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show in the demo for the first time since the week of March 2nd. MSNBC’s top-rated program The Rachel Maddow Show at 9PM/ET, ranked number five in total viewers, coming behind four consecutive FNC programs.
As you probably expect, Hannity continued to easily surpass Maddow, marking 63 straight weeks in first place.
Tucker Carlson Tonight continued to hold serve in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour and was second in total viewers for FNC, trouncing CNN’s deeply partisan Anderson Cooper 360 with 4,043,000 total viewers and 658,000 in 25-54 demo.
CNN has put a lot of emphasis on the weekly, Thursday night installments of Coronavirus: Facts and Fears: A CNN Global Town Hall, but like most things the Jeffrey Zucker-led network does, the American public showed little interest. In the case of their May 21st episode, FNC shows (Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity) "nearly tripled" CNN "with 3.8 million viewers and 627,000 with A25-54 compared to CNN’s 1.3 million and 320,000 in the demo."
So on the same day that a far-left group's lawsuit looking to destroy FNC was laughed out of court, the Fox-hating media also saw some putrid ratings news. Perhaps they should worry about reporting the news and regaining trust instead of peddling fear and partisanship.
