Observed Signal · Jul 27, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Cable News Ratings Rise Week of July 13, 2026
From July through September 2026, cable news viewership declined as the news cycle slowed, with all major networks experiencing month-over-month and quarter-over-quarter drops. Fox News remained the most-watched network, averaging 2.064 million primetime viewers in Q3, but suffered a 17% year-over-year decline. In September, Fox's primetime viewers fell to 1.717 million (down 19% from August), with a 42% yearly drop in the week of September 7. MSNBC, referred to as MS NOW, was the only network with year-over-year gains in both total viewers and A25-54 demo, increasing 16% in primetime total viewers and 37% in total day demo; in the week of September 14, it rebounded with 33% primetime viewer gains and 47% demo gains. CNN also showed yearly growth (up 13% in primetime total viewers) and gained 13% in primetime viewers that week. However, all networks saw yearly declines in total viewers except MSNBC and CNN, which grew slightly. Top programs included 'The Five', leading with 3.146 million total viewers, and 'Hannity', 'The Rachel Maddow Show', and 'CNN NewsNight' ranking high on their networks. The data, based on Nielsen big data + panel, sets the stage for Q4 as networks prepare for midterm elections and sports programming.
Weekly Nielsen ratings provide advertiser and media owners with short-term audience and demo movement data for linear TV; useful for planning and sales but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Fox News: No. 1 in total viewership but down 17% YoY in Q3 2026 (2.064M primetime average); September primetime averaged 1.717M (down 19% from August); week of Sept. 14 averaged 1.618M, down 9% WoW.
- MSNBC (MS NOW): Only network with YoY gains in both total viewers and A25-54 demo; Q3 2026 primetime total viewers up 16% YoY, total day demo up 37%; week of Sept. 14 saw 33% primetime viewer gain and 47% demo gain, defeating Fox in demo on Thursday.
- CNN: Q3 2026 primetime total viewers averaged 608K, up 13% YoY; week of Sept. 14 gained 13% in primetime viewers and 14% in demo; averaged 552K that week; September demo 90K, nearly tied with MSNBC.
- Top programs: 'The Five' led with 3.146M total viewers (Sept. 2026: 2.794M); 'Hannity' led demo in Aug.; 'The Rachel Maddow Show' and 'CNN NewsNight' top-ranked on their networks.
- Ratings based on Nielsen Big Data + Panel; all networks experienced MoM and QoQ declines due to summer weather and slow news cycle, with YoY declines except MSNBC and CNN.
Connected Companies & Entities
10 Entities mapped“MS NOW averaged 1.15 million total viewers and 104,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded....”
“According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of July 13, Fox News averaged 2.459 million total viewers and 234,000 A25-54 viewers duri...”
“CNN averaged 711,000 total primetime viewers and 113,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for the week of July 13....”
“According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of July 13, Fox News averaged 2.459 million total viewers and 234,000 A25-54 viewers duri...”
“CNBC – Fast Money Halftime Report was the most-watched program....”
“Newsmax – Rob Schmitt Tonight was the network’s top show....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Cable News Ratings Surge: Fox Leads, CNN Soars!
Adweek/TVNewser reports Nielsen weekly cable-news ratings for the week of Feb. 9, 2026. All three major cable news networks (Fox News, MS NOW, CNN) posted gains in total viewers for primetime and total day, with CNN showing double-digit week-over-week growth. MS NOW was the only network to record a week-to-week decline in the Adults 25-54 primetime demo. Fox News led in total primetime viewers and occupied most top spots in weekly program rankings; The Five was the most-watched show. The report includes primetime and total day averages and week-over-week and year-over-year percentage changes for each network.
June 2026 Cable News Ratings: Fox Leads, MS NOW Gains
Adweek published Nielsen Big Data + Panel cable-news ratings for June 2026. Fox News led in total viewers for both primetime (2.26 million) and total day (1.451 million) while ranking third in the Adults 25-54 demo for primetime. MS NOW posted month-over-month and year-over-year gains in several measured categories—becoming the only network with across-the-board year-over-year growth—and averaged 1.015 million primetime viewers. CNN averaged 610,000 primetime viewers and showed declines versus May 2026 and June 2025. The report also lists top-performing programs (The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime, The Rachel Maddow Show, etc.) and program-level A25-54 rankings used by advertisers and buyers.
Fox News Only Big Cable Network to Grow Week of March 23
Nielsen data for the week of March 23, 2026, show Fox News was the only major basic cable news network to post week‑over‑week audience growth in both total viewers and the Adults 25–54 demo across primetime and total day. Fox News averaged 2.662 million primetime viewers (259,000 A25-54) and 1.707 million total-day viewers (169,000 A25-54), with primetime up +8% in total viewers and +14% in the demo versus the prior week. MS NOW and CNN posted mixed results: MS NOW averaged 1.171 million primetime viewers (101,000 A25-54) and CNN averaged 751,000 primetime viewers (133,000 A25-54). Fox News occupied 13 of the 15 most-watched cable news program slots; The Five led with 3.989 million viewers. Year-over-year comparisons for networks varied, with CNN showing notable gains versus the prior year.
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