The Lead
Fox News has long had reason to celebrate. Since Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, the network has been riding a heater, dominating the cable news landscape.
But now, the network can stick another feather in its cap. During the week of June 30th, Fox News topped broadcast networks ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in the primetime window.
Fox News averaged 2.8 million viewers in the weekday primetime ratings. That topped NBC (2.4 million), CBS (2 million), and ABC (1.9 million). All networks mentioned saw a decline in ratings compared to the previous week, largely attributed to the Independence Day holiday, which fell on Friday.
The Five led the cable news ratings during the week, averaging 3.7 million viewers. Meanwhile, Gutfeld!, the late-night show from the network, averaged 3.1 million viewers. Hannity, The Ingraham Angle, and Special Report with Bret Baier each averaged 2.8 million viewers for the week, as well.
During the Independence Day holiday, Fox News led the way with 2.1 million viewers in primetime. That’s a 50% increase in total viewers compared to the same day in 2024.
Elsewhere, MSNBC finished the week with an average of 741,000. That marks its lowest showing since the week of Memorial Day. CNN was also down slightly during the week, falling to an average of 526,000 total viewers in the primetime window. Meanwhile, Newsmax and NewsNation were also down slightly the week of the 4th of July. Newsmax averaged just under 250,000 total viewers, while NewsNation featured an average audience of 112,000.
NewsNation Sees Ratings Growth During June
During the month of June, NewsNation saw strong year-over-year ratings growth, especially in the Adults 25-54 demographic.
According to Nielsen metrics, NewsNation saw a 24% increase in primetime viewership during the month, compared to 2024. Meanwhile, the network saw an average audience increase of 50% in the total day ratings, and a 67% uptick in viewers from the coveted demographic.
“NewsNation set out to offer an alternative to the polarized cable news landscape, and we are extremely gratified that viewers are validating our approach,” said Nexstar President of Networks Division Sean Compton of the performance. “As we continue to grow, we remain committed to earning viewers’ trust each and every day.”
The network saw the highest year-over-year growth of any cable channel during the month of June.
Many of the gains for NewsNation can be attributed to the dayside lineup. Morning in America saw a 92% increase in overall viewership year-over-year, while NewsNation Live (+68%), NewsNation Now with Nichole Berlie (+74%), and with Connell McShane (+83%) all featured notable increases.
Additionally, The Hill, hosted by Blake Burman from 6-7 PM ET, added to its average audience by 66% year-over-year. It also saw a 150% increase in the Adults 25-54 demographic during the month.
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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.
