Fox News Leads in Viewership Ahead of 30th Anniversary

Fox News Channel continues to dominate the ratings as it approaches its 30th anniversary. In the third quarter of 2026, Fox News surpassed CBS among weekday primetime viewers, firmly holding its position as a leading network.

Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers during weekday primetime, outpacing CBS. The network also maintained a strong lead among broadcast channels throughout the year. Additionally, in the cable arena, Fox News stood out with an average of 1.3 million viewers daily, making it the only network to exceed the one-million viewer threshold. Competitors MS NOW, ESPN, CNN, and HGTV followed far behind.

The network’s show “The Five” led the cable news category, with an average of 3.1 million viewers. This marked the 20th consecutive quarter it has held the top spot.

Fox News led the primetime ratings, averaging 2.1 million viewers, while ESPN came next with 1.1 million. MS NOW and CNN trailed with 930,000 and 607,000 viewers, respectively. Fox News captured a significant portion of the audience share, securing 56% overall and 57% during primetime.

“The Five,” featuring hosts Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov, and Harold Ford Jr., topped the charts again. Other Fox News programs such as “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Gutfeld!,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “Hannity,” and “The Ingraham Angle” dominated the ratings as well. The only non-Fox program in the top 14 was “The Rachel Maddow Show” from MS NOW, ranking seventh.

CNN’s most popular show, “Newsnight,” averaged 686,000 viewers, placing it 24th in the cable news rankings. Meanwhile, Fox News’ daytime lineup remained strong, with shows like “America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino” and “The Faulkner Focus” contributing to Fox’s ratings success.

“Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher” led its timeslot with 1.3 million viewers. “Gutfeld!” outperformed all late-night broadcasts, including “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Pioneers such as “FOX & Friends” held its status as the leading morning show in cable news. It surpassed “CBS Mornings” across key markets, including New York and Washington, D.C.

Weekend success was evident too, as “Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany” and “Sunday Morning Futures” drew 1.4 million viewers each, earning top spots for their respective days.

Among adults aged 25-54, Fox News led with an average 120,000 viewers daily and 183,000 during primetime. “The Five” excelled in this demographic with an average of 289,000 viewers, making it the top choice.

Overall, Fox News continues to lead in key performance indicators, with robust ratings across various programs and timeslots.