FOX News Channel Reclaims Lead Sweeping Total Day and Primetime Viewers and Demo for the Month of March

FOX News Channel (FNC) completed the most recent full month of the first quarter of 2021 as the most-watched cable news network, sweeping the competition in total day and primetime total viewers and in the key 25-54 demographic and reclaiming its lead in all categories, according to Nielsen Media Research. In total day, FNC garnered 1.3 million viewers, 207,000 with A25-54 and 119,000 with A18-49 in March. In primetime, FNC delivered 2.4 million viewers, 375,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 231,000 with A18-49 for the month. Meanwhile, both CNN and MSNBC fell to new lows in March, with the former notching its lowest-rated month in both categories since pre-pandemic February 2020 and the latter experiencing its least-watched month in total day demo since August 2019. Month over month, CNN and MSNBC both lost nearly a third of their audience in the demo, while FNC was the only cable news network to be up in the category.

For the first quarter of 2021, FNC was the most-watched network in primetime in all of basic cable, notching 77 straight quarters as the leading cable news channel with total viewers and number one in all of cable for the fifth consecutive quarter. The network earned 2.5 million viewers from 8-11PM/ET for the quarter, 391,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 244,000 in the younger 18-49 category. In total day, FNC garnered 1.3 million viewers for the quarter, 221,000 with A25-54 and 130,000 with A18-49, surpassing MSNBC in the demo. The network remains the top-rated cable news network post-Inauguration to date in both total day and primetime total viewers. During the first quarter of 2021, FNC claimed three of the top four cable news programs in overall viewers, two of the top six in the key 25-54 demo and comprised 12 of the top 100 cable telecasts.

At 8PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight completed the quarter as the top-rated program in its timeslot in both categories, averaging 3.4 million viewers and 567,000 in the demo, as well as 360,000 in the 18-49 category. FNC also finished the month of March with the number one program in cable news in all categories, with Tucker Carlson Tonight delivering 3.2 million viewers and 521,000 in the A25-54 demo and 331,000 in the in A18-49 category. Additionally, the program dominated several entertainment and news programs on broadcast in total viewers for the first quarter, including ABC’s This Week and A Million Little Things as well as NBC’s The TODAY Show. Hannity at 9PM/ET averaged 3 million viewers for the quarter, 483,000 in the demo and 299,000 among adults 18-49, and surpassing CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time in total viewers. In March, Hannity followed suit as the second most-watched program in the demo, with 443,000 in the demo as well as 2.8 million viewers and 265,000 in 18-49. The Ingraham Angle at 10PM/ET garnered 2.3 million viewers, 404,000 in the demo and 251,000 in 18-49 for the quarter.