New shows. A popular show’s new revamp. Same old success.
Fox News Channel began their new era of several new news hours as well as a change in its hosting panel on “The Five” on Jan. 24. Yet, one thing remained constant: their dominance on cable.
Already their current No. 1 show, “The Five” premiered the addition of new full-time co-host Jeanine Pirro. Her former Saturday night program “Justice with Jeanine Pirro” concluded its 11-year run back on Jan. 22 (which, despite opposite a 49ers-Packers game on parent network Fox, drew 1.4 million total viewers and 148,000 adults 18-49). Also on “The Five” are a rotation of Harold Ford Jr., Geraldo Rivera, and Jessica Tarlov — the three succeed the spot previously held by the show’s original panelist Juan Williams who had exited back in May 2021. They all join current co-hosts Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters.
The Jan. 24th edition of “The Five” (as also noted in the list near article’s end) drew 3.86 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research; its episode the next day (Jan. 25) grew to 3.87 million total viewers. Both not only led the week’s telecasts among cable news channels but on cable overall. Fox News Channel secured 76 of the top 100 most-watched cable telecasts for the week, including the entire top 20 — four of the five weekday editions of “The Five” placed in the top ten; its Friday Jan. 28 edition (3.08 million) ranked 15th.
Also on Jan. 24 was the debut of the 7 p.m. hour “Jesse Watters Primetime”. Its 3.8 million total viewers ranked third on cable overall; its Monday thru Thursday editions (Jan. 24-28) all landed in the top 13. The show’s five-weeknight average of 3.26 million viewers was FNC’s best for that hour since the week of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election (Nov. 2-6, 2020). Watters’ former Saturday night program “Watters World” concluded its five-year run on Jan. 22 with 1.585 million viewers and 173,000 in the key 25-54 demographic.
Then, on Jan. 29, FNC’s brand new Saturday night lineup averaged 1.49 million total viewers in prime time — a figure that would normally top the night on cable but not on this particular evening, as noted in the next paragraph. Leading off the night at 8 p.m. was the premiere of “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade” (1.54 million total viewers) hosted by the “Fox & Friends” personality. “Unfiltered with Dan Bongino” (1.465 million total viewers) moved up its regular slot to one hour earlier to 9 p.m. and, with 247,000 adults 25-54, improved upon its “Kilmeade” (189,000 adults 25-54) lead-in in the key demo. The launch of “Lawrence Jones Cross Country” at 10 p.m. slightly built upon its “Bongino” lead-in in total viewers (1.47 million) and its 239,000 among adults 25-54 retained nearly all of “Bongino’s” demo crowd.
The networks of Lifetime and A&E scored a hit on the evenings of Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 with their two-night, four-part documentary “Janet Jackson”. The following are the figures for each of its original airings:
Part 1 — Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 @ 8-9 p.m.
Lifetime: 1.903 million total viewers; 715,000 adults 25-54
A&E: 0.925 million total viewers; 365,000 adults 25-54
Combined: 2.828 million total viewers; 1.08 million adults 25-54
Part 2 — Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 @ 9-10 p.m.
Lifetime: 2.114 million total viewers; 821,000 adults 25-54
A&E: 1.057 million total viewers; 443,000 adults 25-54
Combined: 3.171 million total viewers; 1.264 million adults 25-54
Part 3 — Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 @ 8-9 p.m.
Lifetime: 1.796 million total viewers; 675,000 adults 25-54
A&E: 1.222 million total viewers; 456,000 adults 25-54
Combined: 3.018 million total viewers; 1.131 million adults 25-54
Part 4 — Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 @ 9-10 p.m.
Lifetime: 1.882 million total viewers; 706,000 adults 25-54
A&E: 1.345 million total viewers; 534,000 adults 25-54
Combined: 3.227 million total viewers; 1.24 million adults 25-54
Overall, the profile on the pop/R&B singer was the week’s top cable program among adults 25-54.
It had the highest viewership of any non-fiction program on Lifetime since the documentary on another R&B singer but with much more controversy, “Surviving R. Kelly,” which aired in January 2019.
“Janet Jackson” also marked the best nonfiction debut in viewership and ratings on cable since “The Last Dance” (Apr.-May 2020), the ESPN docuseries that chronicled another pop culture icon of the 80’s and 90’s, Michael Jordan, and his Chicago Bulls team.
Cable news averages for January 24-30, 2022:
Total Day (January 24-30 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.549 million viewers; 255,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.675 million viewers; 76,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.453 million viewers; 90,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.210 million viewers; 63,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.196 million viewers; 35,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.164 million viewers; 39,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.146 million viewers; 23,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.107 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (January 24-29 @ 8-11 p.m.; January 30 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.440 million viewers; 390,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.258 million viewers; 146,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.542 million viewers; 117,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.285 million viewers; 49,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.244 million viewers; 77,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.213 million viewers; 66,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.208 million viewers; 45,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.052 million viewers; 9,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top MSNBC, HBO, CNN and Weather Channel programs with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.870 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.862 million viewers
3. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.803 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 1/26/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.782 million viewers
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.774 million viewers
6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.700 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 1/26/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.700 million viewers
8. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.600 million viewers
9. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 1/27/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.556 million viewers
10. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 1/27/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.533 million viewers
26. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Thu. 1/27/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.398 million viewers
155. Real Time With Bill Maher “587” (HBO, Fri. 1/28/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.893 million viewers
156. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Wed. 1/26/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.861 million viewers
201. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sat. 1/29/2022 11:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.682 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top MSNBC, CNN and HLN programs with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:
1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 1/26/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.649 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.636 million adults 25-54
3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.624 million adults 25-54
4. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.588 million adults 25-54
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 1/27/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.577 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.563 million adults 25-54
7. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 1/26/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.559 million adults 25-54
8. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 1/25/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.558 million adults 25-54
9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 1/24/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.537 million adults 25-54
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 1/27/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.526 million adults 25-54
41. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 1/24/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.324 million adults 25-54
111. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Thu. 1/27/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.195 million adults 25-54
114. Forensic Files “Chief Suspect” (HLN, Wed. 1/26/2022 11:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.194 million adults 25-54
115. Daily Show “44586” (CMDY, Tue. 1/25/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.193 million adults 25-54
156. Real Time With Bill Maher “587” (HBO, Fri. 1/28/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.155 million adults 25-54
170. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7203” (TBS, Thu. 1/27/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.150 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
