Fox News topped the ratings in January, posting big gains from a year earlier, while MSNBC saw signs that viewers were coming back after a post-election tune out.
In primetime, Fox News averaged 2.78 million viewers, up 40% from the same month a year earlier, while MSNBC averaged 734,000, down 33%, and CNN posted 522,000, down 14%. In the 25-54 demo, Fox News averaged 353,000, up 61%, compared to CNN with 118,000, down 5%, and MSNBC with 63,000, down 41%.
In total day, Fox News averaged 1.92 million viewers, up 53%, compared to MSNBC with 506,000, down 34%, and 421,000 for CNN, down 9%. In the 25-54 demo, Fox News averaged 253,000, up 70%, followed by CNN with 80,000, down 7%, and MSNBC with 45,000, down 42%.
Fox News’ rivals are pointing to month-to-month comparisons for signs that viewers are returning to the news cycles. There is a bit of a caveat, given the December holiday period generally sees a viewership dip, while January was a particularly busy news month.
MSNBC said that it averaged 1.3 million primetime viewers last week, which included the night of the inauguration and Donald Trump’s first week in office. That’s up 61% versus the previous three weeks. The network has compared the viewer falloff to past post-election transition periods, when viewership started to return after the inauguration. MSNBC also said that its January primetime viewership was up 39% versus December, and 26% in total day.
CNN said that its total day viewership also rose during the month compared to December, by 39%, and it was up 69% in the demo. It also said that its primetime viewership month-to-month was up 56% in total viewers and more than doubled in the 25-54 demo.
For the month of January, The Five was the top cable news show, averaging 4.77 million viewers, compared to Jesse Watters Primetime with 4.12 million, Hannity with 3.77 million, Special Report with 3.49 million and The Ingraham Angle with 3.46 million.
In the 25-54 demo, The Five topped with 531,000, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime with 527,000, Hannity with 506,000, The Ingraham Angle with 452,000 and Gutfeld! with 446,000.
Fox News said that the past week was its highest rated since in total day since the 2020 presidential election. Its debut of The Will Cain Show in the 4 p.m. ET slot, replacing Neil Cavuto, posted 3.5 million viewers, with an average of 3 million for the week.
Among other networks, NewsNation averaged 66,000 in total day viewers for the month, its highest since going to the 24/7 format last year. It averaged 121,000 viewers in primetime, its second highest.
