The Lead
Fox News has continued its ratings dominance since Election Day, as the network set a new high-water mark in total day viewers for the month of January.
During the first month of 2025, Fox News saw an average total day audience of 1.9 million viewers. That figure represents a 53% year-over-year increase, with a 70% increase in the key Adults 25-54 demographic.
Since Election Day, Fox News has accounted for the top 603 rated cable news broadcasts.
The Five, which averaged 4.8 million viewers during the month, led the cable news ratings while Jesse Watters Primetime (4.1 million), Hannity (3.8 million), Special Report with Bret Baier (3.5 million), and The Ingraham Angle (3.5 million) rounding out the top five.
“As we mark 23 years as America’s most-watched cable news network, I would like to thank our incredible team both on and off the camera for their dedication to delivering the best product in news,” said Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott. “Each year, we surpass new milestones, continue to innovate, and outperform the competition due to their tireless efforts and I could not be prouder.”
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Scores 2nd Largest Audience in Last Year
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir has had a stranglehold on the nightly network news ratings for several years, and the broadcast had a strong Inauguration Week.
The Muir-led program saw an average of 8.1 million viewers for the week. That’s the second highest average in the last calendar year, only being topped by coverage of the LA Wildfires earlier this month.
For the week, NBC Nightly News averaged 7 million viewers, while the CBS Evening News featured 4.9 million viewers during Norah O’Donnell’s final week in the anchor chair.
The ratings race between the ABC News show and the NBC News program anchored by Lester Holt was significantly closer in the Adults 25-54 demographic. Muir’s show averaged 1,136,000 viewers during the week in that demo, while Holt’s show saw 1,051,000.
CBS Evening News saw 714,000 from the key demographic for the week.
NewsNation Tops MSNBC in Key Demo During Karoline Leavitt’s First White House Press Briefing
NewsNaiton has seen a ratings uptick since being the first cable news network to call the 2024 election for Donald Trump in November.
In primetime during January, the network saw its second-highest-rated average in total viewers with an audience of 121,000 viewers.
During the week of Trump’s inauguration, NewsNation saw 92% growth in its audience in the key Adults 25-54 demographic. In total viewers, the network saw a 22% uptick compared to the previous week.
During the month, both The Hill and Elizabeth Vargas Reports saw new all-time highs in total viewers. Daytime programs like NewsNation Live and NewsNation Now, as well as the weekend versions of those shows, also saw new all-time highs during January.
Additionally, as new White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made her first press briefing, NewsNation outscored MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports in the key demographic.
During the Noon hour on Tuesday, NewsNation Now averaged 33,000 viewers in the Adults 25-54 demo. MSNBC saw an audience of 26,000 in that sector.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
