President Joe Biden announced on Monday, Aug. 1 that al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri was killed in a U.S. drone strike operation in Kabul. Al-Zawahri and the man he succeeded Osama bin Laden had plotted the deadliest attack ever on American soil — the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide hijackings.
The president said in that evening address from the White House that U.S. intelligence officials had located al-Zawahri at a home in downtown Kabul where he was hiding out with his family. The president approved the operation in late July and it was carried out on July 31..
The networks aired this special news event on Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Approximately 17.1 million viewers tuned in to Biden’s address. As a slight surprise, the top outlet in coverage among total viewers was CBS. Although its weeknight evening news program regularly trails their ABC and NBC counterparts, the network led here with 4.22 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Also helping CBS was its affiliates’ usual potent syndicated programming in the 7 p.m. hour which, in most markets, is Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight. The same goes for most of ABC’s affiliates with its combo of game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune — the network was close behind CBS with 4.185 million viewers.
NBC trailed its broadcast competition with 2.84 million viewers.
Over on cable, Nielsen did not label Biden’s address as a separate telecast. Therefore, regular programming within that hour was still stated. Fox News Channel’s Jesse Watters Primetime easily led cable in the 7 p.m. hour on Aug. 1 with 2.8 million total viewers including 331,000 in the key 25-54 demographic. MSNBC’s “The Reidout” was a distant runner-up on cable news in total viewers with 1.35 million; CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfromt” was second in adults 25-54 (250,000). As indicated in the rankings below, it was this 7-8 p.m. hour that was the week’s most-watched hour overall for CNN, and the week’s top MSNBC hour in the key demo.
As for the other news outlets: Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight drew 264,000 viewers; CNBC’s The News with Shepard Smith 221,000; Fox Business Network’s Kennedy 129,000; and, NewsNation’s On Balance with Leland Vittert 62,000.
Cable news averages for August 1-7, 2022:
Total Day (Aug. 1-7 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.413 million viewers; 199,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.670 million viewers; 78,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.511 million viewers; 101,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.181 million viewers; 54,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.142 million viewers; 36,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.127 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.111 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.107 million viewers; 22,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (Aug. 1-6 @ 8-11 p.m.; Aug. 7 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.098 million viewers; 268,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.978 million viewers; 103,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.656 million viewers; 133,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.226 million viewers; 27,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.216 million viewers; 68,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.207 million viewers; 63,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.136 million viewers; 25,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.060 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.058 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/4/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.300 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.298 million viewers
3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.198 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 8/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.156 million viewers
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 8/3/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.113 million viewers
6. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.112 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.111 million viewers
8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 8/4/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.995 million viewers
9. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/5/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.892 million viewers
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.841 million viewers
25. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 8/1/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.155 million viewers
144. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Mon. 8/1/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.996 million viewers
186. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 607” (HBO, Fri. 8/5/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.782 million viewers
286. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/7/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.577 million viewers
329. Forensic Files II “Toxic Environment” (HLN, Sun. 8/7/2022 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.494 million viewers
386. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7214” (TBS, Thu. 8/4/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.380 million viewers
401. The Daily Show (CMDY, Mon. 8/1/2022 11:00 PM, 33 min.) 0.358 million viewers
404. Varney & Company (FBN, Tue. 8/2/2022 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.348 million viewers
465. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 622” (CNBC, Tue. 8/2/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.286 million viewers
551. Deep Water Salvage “(210) Savage Salvage” (TWC, Sun. 8/7/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.232 million viewers
748. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Tue. 8/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.161 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54
1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.508 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.478 million adults 25-54
3. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/4/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.465 million adults 25-54
4. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 8/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.438 million adults 25-54
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 8/4/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.428 million adults 25-54
6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 8/3/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.400 million adults 25-54
7. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.399 million adults 25-54
8. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.394 million adults 25-54
9. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/5/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.374 million adults 25-54
10. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Tue. 8/2/2022 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.369 million adults 25-54
44. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Mon. 8/1/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.250 million adults 25-54
55. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/7/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.228 million adults 25-54
77. The Reidout “Biden On Klng Of Al Qaeda Leader 732-739” (MSNBC, Mon. 8/1/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.198 million adults 25-54
99. Forensic Files II “Toxic Environment” (HLN, Sun. 8/7/2022 10:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.186 million adults 25-54
117. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 7214” (TBS, Thu. 8/4/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.165 million adults 25-54
135. The Daily Show (CMDY, Thu. 8/4/2022 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.151 million adults 25-54
178. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 607” (HBO, Fri. 8/5/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.131 million adults 25-54
245. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 621” (CNBC, Thu. 8/4/2022 11:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.116 million adults 25-54
583. Deep Water Salvage “(210) Savage Salvage” (TWC, Sun. 8/7/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.056 million adults 25-54
790. Varney & Company (FBN, Fri. 8/5/2022 11:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.034 million adults 25-54
816. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Tue. 8/2/2022 6:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.029 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
