Two notable items highlighted the news for the week of July 24, which saw gains for both CNBC and Fox Business Network.
On the morning of July 24, Elon Musk officially and abruptly rebranded Twitter as “X”. The new name and look are in place as an attempt to reverse the declines the social media platform generated in advertising revenue. In addition, “X” is facing more competition from other rising text-based platforms like Mastodon and Instagram’s newly-launched Threads.
The name change was surely the talk of the business world. As the opening bell rang at Wall Street’s New York Stock Exchanged to begin the week, CNBC’s Squawk on the Street averaged 200,000 viewers from 9 a.m. to Noon on Monday, July 24, according to Nielsen Media Research. While it’s a viewer figure about at its normal weekday morning levels, it was higher than their recent Mondays including July 17 (177,000) and July 10 (192,000).
Fox Business Network’s competing Varney & Company outdrew CNBC within the same time slot, with 241,000 viewers. That was down from its previous Monday (268,000 on July 17 from 9 a.m.-noon), but up from July 10th (208,000).
Flashing back to July 13, David Faber’s hourlong interview with Disney CEO Bob Iger on CNBC posted just 76,000 viewers in prime time. Nonetheless, it still made significant waves in industry circles. Iger had stated the demands requested by the Hollywood writers and actors currently on strike were “unrealistic” — a quote that has since further galvanized the unions representing those on strike.
In the afternoon of Friday, July 28, Alabama police charged Carlee Russell of falsely reporting an incident. Russell made national headlines when she had called 911 on July 13 to report a small child walking along the highway and then she herself vanished for 49 hours.
Fox News Channel was tops on cable news as charges were announced from Alabama at 1-3 p.m. on July 28, averaging 1.23 million viewers including 157,000 within the key 25-54 demographic. CNN placed runner-up in the demo with 126,000 adults 25-54 (vs. MSNBC’s 80,000), while MSNBC had the runner-up spot in total viewers (811,000 vs. CNN’s 605,000).
Cable news averages for July 24-30, 2023:
Total Day (July 24-30 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.161 million viewers; 138,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.760 million viewers; 77,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.431 million viewers; 77,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.193 million viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.151 million viewers; 42,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.125 million viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.117 million viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.081 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.064 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (July 24-29 @ 8-11 p.m.; July 30 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.895 million viewers; 191,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.207 million viewers; 117,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.531 million viewers; 97,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.280 million viewers; 24,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.100 million viewers; 24,000 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, Wed. 7/26/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.196 million viewers
2. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.821 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 7/27/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.754 million viewers
4. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.631 million viewers
5. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 7/25/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.627 million viewers
6. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 7/27/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.609 million viewers
7. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 7/24/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.594 million viewers
8. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon. 7/24/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.525 million viewers
9. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 7/24/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.505 million viewers
10. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 7/28/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.463 million viewers
143. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Thu. 7/27/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.905 million viewers
378. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 7/25/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.322 million viewers
379. Forensic Files (HLN, late Thu. 7/27/2023 12:30 AM, 30 min.) 0.321 million viewers
484. Power Lunch (CNBC, Wed. 7/26/2023 2:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.238 million viewers
664. NewsNation Live with Marni Hughes (NWSN, Wed. 7/26/2023 10:00 AM, 180 min.) 0.160 million viewers
687. America’s Weekend Headquarters (TWC, Sat. 7/29/2023 9:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.150 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.324 million adults 25-54
2. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.308 million adults 25-54
3. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.280 million adults 25-54
4. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Thu. 7/27/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.276 million adults 25-54
5. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 7/28/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.274 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 7/27/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.271 million adults 25-54
7. Hannity (FOXNC, Wed. 7/26/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.270 million adults 25-54
8. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 7/24/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.268 million adults 25-54
9. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Mon. 7/24/2023 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.267 million adults 25-54
10. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 7/25/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.252 million adults 25-54
11. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 7/24/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.245 million adults 25-54
48. Erin Burnett Outfront (CNN, Thu. 7/27/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.171 million adults 25-54
162. Forensic Files (HLN, late Thu. 7/27/2023 1:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.112 million adults 25-54
419. Fast Money Halftime Report (CNBC, Fri. 7/28/2023 12:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.062 million adults 25-54
463. Weekend Recharge (TWC, Sun. 7/30/2023 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.057 million adults 25-54
493. NewsNation Live with Marni Hughes (NWSN, Wed. 7/26/2023 10:00 AM, 180 min.) 0.052 million adults 25-54
601. Varney & Company (FBN, Fri. 7/28/2023 9:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.038 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
