FOX News Channel Earns Highest-Rated Primetime Monthly Average in the History of Cable Led by Tucker Carlson Tonight

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the month of October as the most-watched cable network in both total day and primetime total viewers (Persons 2+), notching 52 months in a row in the top spot across all of basic cable in total day. FNC also saw its highest-rated October on record, marking the 10^th consecutive month this year the network has finished number one in all of cable across primetime total viewers led by Tucker Carlson Tonight at 8PM/ET. The program marked a new record this month, earning the highest-rated monthly viewership of any program in the history of cable news. Tucker Carlson Tonight also secured the number one spot in all of cable news across all categories, garnering over 5.3 million viewers, 1 million in the key demographic, and 670,000 in the 18-49 demo, beating the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. In the A25-54 demographic, Tucker Carlson Tonight hit yet another milestone as the first primetime program to reach 1 million viewers in the 25-54 demo since September 2008. Surpassing every broadcast network in total viewers and continues to remain the number one network in all of television in primetime Memorial Day-to-date, FNC also notched the number one spot in all of television in weekday primetime with Carlson and Sean Hannity each outperforming ABC’s The Bachelorette, The Conners, Celebrity Family Feud and NBC’s The Weakest Link.

Marking 226 consecutive months as the top-rated cable news network in total day and primetime across total viewers, FNC continued to deliver a double-digit percent advantage over both MSNBC and CNN. In total day, FNC garnered 2.3 million viewers, 428,000 with A25-54 and 274,000 in the A18-49 demo, holding a 65 percent advantage over CNN in total viewers. The network also delivered the second highest-rated total day viewership in the history of cable news, coming only behind its own coverage of the Iraq War in April 2003. In primetime, FNC delivered 4.9 million viewers, 971,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 670,000 in the A18-49 demo, and widened its advantage over CNN by 99 percent. The network also claimed the number one spot in total viewers as well as both younger demographics in the 9AM-5PM/ET dayside hours. In October, the FNC claimed 69 of the top 100 cable telecasts in total viewers and delivered 32 telecasts with over 5 million total viewers. FNC also comprised the top two telecasts in all of cable during special coverage of both presidential debates. Notably, FNC’s primetime lineup, including Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and The Ingraham Angle, all earned their highest-rated months in history in both total viewers and in the demo. Additionally, FOX News @ Night with anchor Shannon Bream also secured the program’s highest-rated month in overall viewers. Delivering increases of 57 percent in total day and 83 percent in primetime year-over-year, FNC also led all of cable in upscale viewers (income of 100K+) in both weekday total day and primetime among total viewers and the key 25-54 demographic. Additionally, FNC ranked number one in cable news in length of tune across primetime total viewers and in the 25-54 advertiser-coveted demographic.