Fox News Tops TV in July, CNN Hits Bottom in Key Demographic

Fox News Continues to Dominate Television Ratings in July

Fox News Channel maintained its stronghold over the television landscape in July, outperforming both broadcast networks and other cable news channels in key metrics that matter most to advertisers. The network not only led in total day viewership but also dominated primetime hours, further solidifying its position as the top choice for news consumers.

During the month of July, Fox News averaged 1.5 million total day viewers, significantly outpacing its competitors. MSNBC, the second-largest cable news network, settled for an average of 530,000 viewers, while CNN managed just 370,000. In primetime, Fox News delivered a staggering 2.4 million viewers, more than double the audience of MSNBC, which had an average of 865,000 viewers from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, CNN’s primetime audience dropped to a dismal 497,000, placing it behind ESPN, HGTV, and Hallmark, as well as other cable networks.

This performance marks the 54th consecutive month that Fox News has topped both CNN and MSNBC in primetime. The network also outperformed major broadcast networks during the same period. NBC reported 2.1 million viewers, while CBS and ABC each saw 2 million viewers. Since the start of summer on June 20, Fox News has consistently led the broadcast networks in primetime with 2.6 million viewers, surpassing ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Strong Performance in Key Demographics

One of the most significant areas where Fox News excelled was among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54. The network averaged 184,000 total day viewers in this category, outperforming all other cable networks, including ESPN, TBS, USA, Comedy Central, FX, and Food Network. This success highlights the network’s ability to attract a broad and engaged audience.

In primetime, Fox News reached 257,000 viewers in the 25-54 age group, compared to just 92,000 for CNN, which experienced its worst month ever in this critical category. Despite these challenges, CNN still managed to outperform MSNBC, which averaged only 81,000 viewers in the same demographic. MSNBC’s primetime lineup struggled even further, finishing with smaller audiences than several cable options, including A&E, TLC, Bravo, Nick-at-Nite, Comedy Central, and Adult Swim.

For the 53rd consecutive month, Fox News dominated cable news in both total viewership and the key 25-54 demo. The network commanded 63% of the cable news share during total day and 64% in primetime.

Top-Rated Programs and Strong Performances

Several Fox News programs stood out in July, leading the network in both total viewership and the 25-54 demographic. "The Five," featuring Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov, and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.5 million total viewers and 378,000 in the key demographic, securing the top spot in both categories.

Other popular programs included "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Gutfeld!," "Hannity," "Special Report with Bret Baier," "The Ingraham Angle," and "The Will Cain Show." These shows consistently outperformed anything offered by CNN or MSNBC. Notably, "Gutfeld!" outdrew "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" despite the latter's announcement of canceling the program in 2026.

MSNBC’s highest-rated show, "The Rachel Maddow Show," averaged 2 million viewers for the month, though it only aired three times due to the host’s limited schedule. Meanwhile, "FOX & Friends" remained the top morning program, averaging 1.3 million viewers and 169,000 in the 25-54 demo for the 53rd consecutive month.

Continued Dominance in Daytime and Weekend Programming

Fox News continued to dominate daytime programming with strong performances across multiple shows. "America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino," "The Faulkner Focus," "Outnumbered," "America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith," and Martha MacCallum’s "The Story" all contributed to the network’s overall success.

At night, "Fox News @ Night" held its timeslot, while "The Big Weekend Show" averaged 1.5 million viewers to become the top weekend cable news program. "Sunday Morning Futures" claimed the Sunday title with 1.7 million viewers. "My View with Lara Trump" was the most-watched weekend primetime program, drawing over 1.4 million viewers.

Fox News also maintained its leadership in specific demographics, including Asian and Hispanic audiences, as well as upscale viewers, throughout the entire month of July.

Ratings data is provided by Nielsen Media Research.