It was a busy news week as it approached Christmas Day in 2022, with several news items creating a race for victories for news outlets like ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN.
The January 6th committee that investigated the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol held its final public hearing on Monday Dec. 19. It presented the case to the Justice Department that there’s evidence to pursue multiple criminal charges against Donald Trump, including obstruction of justice, defrauding the United States, making false statements and assisting or aiding an insurrection. (Later in the week, on Friday Dec. 23, a full committee report was released further advising that Trump should be barred from ever running for public office again.)
The viewership figures of the cable news outlets for this Dec. 19 hearing (from 1:07-2:17 p.m. ET) held the same pattern as the previous committee hearings since the summer of 2022: MSNBC (2.665 million, over CNN’s 1.964 million) led in total viewers, CNN No. 1 in the key 25-54 demo (332,000, over MSNBC’s 317,000) and Fox News (1.041 million total viewers; 102,000 adults 25-54) trailed them in both ratings categories.
A special joint session of Congress was held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on Wednesday Dec. 21 with a visit from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. It marked ten months since Russia first invaded Ukraine. Zelensky, who sought reinvigorated support from the U.S. and other global allies, addressed to Congress that his country still stands “against all odds” and it “will never surrender” to Russia as democracy itself is being tested.
Nearly 16 million across six networks tuned in for Zelensky’s historic prime time address, according to Nielsen Media Research. ABC, the usual network leader in the early evening with World News Tonight and most of its affiliates carrying Wheel of Fortune and/or Jeopardy!, was tops in coverage among total viewers with 4.229 million. CBS (3.208 million) was runner-up. MSNBC was first place on cable and third overall with 2.424 million, besting its parent network NBC (2.375 million). It was then Fox News Channel (2.237 million) followed by CNN (1.41 million from 8-9 p.m. ET).
Closing out the holiday week was the weather occurrence called a bomb cyclone which put most of the United States into a deep freeze. Many cities and towns experienced near-zero or sub-zero degree temperatures, as holiday travel and outdoor events (including several NFL games) were hampered. Not surprisingly, The Weather Channel (as noted in the network averages below) had its most-watched week since Hurricane Ian had made landfall in Florida during the week of Sep. 26, 2022.
Cable news averages for December 19-25, 2022:
Total Day (Dec. 19-25 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.189 million viewers; 152,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.830 million viewers; 96,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.514 million viewers; 95,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.186 million viewers; 31,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.145 million viewers; 40,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.117 million viewers; 30,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.110 million viewers; 12,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.087 million viewers; 8,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (Dec. 19-24 @ 8-11 p.m.; Dec. 25 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.574 million viewers; 189,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.276 million viewers; 133,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.552 million viewers; 108,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.189 million viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.182 million viewers; 62,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.157 million viewers; 46,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.097 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.090 million viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.060 million viewers; 10,000 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, Mon. 12/19/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.075 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 12/20/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.048 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 12/22/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.971 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 12/21/2022 5:21 PM, 39 min.) 2.914 million viewers
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 12/21/2022 8:03 PM, 57 min.) 2.822 million viewers
6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 12/20/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.775 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 12/19/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.749 million viewers
8. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 12/23/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.747 million viewers
9. January 6th Hearings “Hearing Final Meeting” (MSNBC, Mon. 12/19/2022 1:07 PM, 70 min.) 2.665 million viewers
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 12/19/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.634 million viewers
30. Attack on Democracy “Jan 6th Hearings 12/19/22” (CNN, Mon. 12/19/2022 1:07 PM, 70 min.) 1.964 million viewers
316. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sat. 12/24/2022 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.442 million viewer
369. Forensic Files II “The Ambush” (HLN, Fri. 12/23/2022 12:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.355 million viewers
401. Kudlow (FBN, Wed. 12/21/2022 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.314 million viewers
489. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 614” (CNBC, Thu. 12/22/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.249 million viewers
850. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Fri. 12/23/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.159 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, Wed. 12/21/2022 8:03 PM, 57 min.) 0.413 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 12/20/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.394 million adults 25-54
3. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 12/19/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.381 million adults 25-54
4. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 12/21/2022 5:21 PM, 39 min.) 0.370 million adults 25-54
5. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 12/22/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.357 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 12/20/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.332 million adults 25-54
7. Attack on Democracy “Jan 6th Hearings 12/19/22” (CNN, Mon. 12/19/2022 1:07 PM, 70 min.) 0.332 million adults 25-54
8. MSNBC Special Coverage “Pres. Zelenskyy Address To Congress” (MSNBC, Wed. 12/21/2022 7:39 PM, 26 min.) 0.320 million adults 25-54
9. January 6th Hearings “Hearing Final Meeting” (MSNBC, Mon. 12/19/2022 1:07 PM, 70 min.) 0.317 million adults 25-54
10. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 12/22/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.305 million adults 25-54
204. Forensic Files “Tooth or Consequences” (HLN, late Tue. 12/20/2022 4:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.114 million adults 25-54
276. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1220” (CNBC, Tue. 12/20/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.092 million adults 25-54
283. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sat. 12/24/2022 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.089 million adults 25-54
752. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun. 12/25/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.037 million adults 25-54
797. Cavuto Coast To Coast (FBN, Thu. 12/22/2022 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.035 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
