April was a banner month for several cable news networks, including MS NOW, CNN, and Fox News, which saw strong finishes.
CNN
At CNN, the network saw strong increases in a variety of dayparts.
The network’s Monday-Sunday primetime performance was the best it has been since August 2024. That month featured the Democratic National Convention.
In that category, CNN averaged 929,000 total viewers. That marks a 71% increase in overall viewership compared to the same month in 2025.
Additionally, the network saw a 71% increase in the Monday-Friday primetime viewership. It finished April with an average audience in that sector of 996,000. It saw a 48% year-over-year increase in the Persons 25-54 demographic in that window, as well, up to 181,000.
In the total day category, CNN finished the month with an average of 607,000 total viewers. That marks at 46% year-over-year increase.
For the month, Anderson Cooper 360 was the most-watched program on the network. It averaged 1.2 million viewers, good for 23rd in the overall cable news landscape. Erin Burnett OutFront was just behind in 24th with 916,000 total viewers.
Fox News
Fox News remained on top of the cable news ratings during the month of April.
In the weekday prime ratings, Fox News averaged 3.2 million viewers for the month. In the total day ratings, it averaged 1.8 million viewers. Those two metrics mark the month as the third-best April in Fox News history.
For the coveted Persons 25-54 demographic, the network averaged 173,000 total viewers in the total day ratings. It also averaged 284,000 from that sector in the Monday-Sunday primetime ratings.
Fox News featured the top six most popular shows in the format during April. It was led by The Five, which averaged 3.8 million viewers in April. Jesse Watters Primetime was second with 3.6 million. In the key demo, Gutfeld! was the highest-rated program on Fox News, averaging 349,000 total viewers. That outpaced Jesse Watters Primetime (335,000) and The Five (329,000) from that sector.
MS NOW
April was also a strong month for MS NOW.
In total viewers, the network saw an increase in the weekday primetime ratings. The network averaged 1.5 million viewers during that daypart.
In the primetime window, The Rachel Maddow Show was the network’s most-watched program. It averaged 2.4 million viewers. It was the highest show not airing on Fox News during April, finishing the month in sixth overall in the cable news rankings.
That finish from Maddow’s program was its largest total audience since September 2024.
In the total day category, MS NOW averaged 747,000 total viewers.
Newsmax
During April, Newsmax averaged 230,000 total viewers in the Monday-Sunday primetime window.
That finish marks it as tied for 26th in the most-watched cable channels overall.
In the total day ratings, Newsmax averaged 138,000 total viewers.
Rob Schmitt Tonight was the most popular program on Newsmax during April. It averaged 362,000 total viewers for the month. It bested Carl Highbie Frontline, which earned 352,000 total viewers. Finnerty — hosted by Rob Finnerty — featured an average audience of 327,000 total viewers. Greg Kelly Reports averaged 280,000 total viewers.
NewsNation
NewsNation saw its highest performance in network history in primetime viewership during April.
The network averaged 192,000 total viewers in the Monday-Sunday primetime window. That figure marks a 170% increase compared to the same month in 2025.
Chris Cuomo’s primetime program is the network’s highest-rated show. The show — seen at 8 PM ET — averaged 310,000 total viewers during the month.
Across the total day ratings, NewsNation averaged 99,000 viewers. That more than doubled its audience compared to April 2025.
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