Fox News Channel maintained its dominance as it approached its 30th anniversary, outperforming CBS in weekday primetime viewership during the third quarter of 2026. It also led the cable networks.
Fox News averaged 2.4 million weekday primetime viewers, surpassing CBS and continuing to lead among broadcast networks for the year. In the cable category, Fox News averaged 1.3 million total-day viewers, surpassing the one-million viewer mark. MS NOW ranked second with 592,000 viewers, followed by ESPN, CNN, and HGTV.
“The Five” averaged 3.1 million total day viewers, making it the top cable news show. (FOX News Media)
During primetime, Fox News attracted 2.1 million viewers, outperforming ESPN’s 1.1 million. MS NOW had 930,000 viewers, while CNN had 607,000. Fox News drew more viewers than both combined in these categories.
The network captured 56% of the audience in total day and 57% in primetime. “The Five,” featuring Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov, and Harold Ford Jr., maintained its top position for the 20th consecutive quarter with an average viewership of 3.1 million.
“Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Gutfeld!,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “Hannity,” and “The Ingraham Angle” completed the top six, with Fox News securing nearly all of the top 14 cable news spots. The only non-Fox News program in the top 14 was MS NOW’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” averaging 1.9 million viewers for seventh place with ten episodes this quarter compared to “The Five’s” 59.
CNN’s top-rated show was “Newsnight,” with 686,000 viewers, ranking 24th among cable news programs.
Fox News’ daytime lineup also performed well. Programs like “America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “Outnumbered,” “America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts,” Martha MacCallum’s “The Story,” and “The Will Cain Show” enjoyed strong quarters.
“Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher” averaged 1.3 million viewers, leading its timeslot. “Gutfeld!” topped all late-night broadcast TV, including ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“FOX & Friends” remained the most-watched morning cable news show, boasting 1.1 million viewers and beating “CBS Mornings” in 21 markets, including New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.
Programs such as “FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla,” “The Big Weekend Show,” “My View with Lara Trump,” “Life, Liberty & Levin,” “The Sunday Briefing,” “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy,” and “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade” also succeeded, enhancing Fox News’ weekend performance.
“Special Report with Bret Baier” ranked among the most-watched cable news shows in the third quarter of 2026.
“Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany” led Saturday cable news with 1.4 million viewers, and “Sunday Morning Futures” matched this success on Sundays.
In demographics prized by advertisers—adults aged 25-54—Fox News averaged 120,000 total day viewers and 183,000 during primetime. “The Five” topped this demographic with 289,000 viewers.
Data provided by Nielsen Media Research.
Brian Flood, a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital, can be contacted at [email protected] and on Twitter: @briansflood.
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