Fox News widened its lead on YouTube during July. The network outperformed every major television news competitor on the platform.
What We Know: Fox News generated 324 million YouTube video views in July, leading all major U.S. television news brands. The result marked a strong rebound from June, when the network totaled 270 million views. Although Fox News remained below its July 2025 total, it still finished well ahead of competitors. Meanwhile, CNN, ABC News, and MS NOW all posted month-over-month gains, while NBC News and CBS News slipped.
What the Numbers Show:
Year-Over-Year Performance
| Brand | July 2026 YouTube Views | July 2025 YouTube Views | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 324M | 332M | ▼ -2.4% |
| MS NOW | 246M | 318M | ▼ -22.6% |
| CNN | 172M | 209M | ▼ -17.7% |
| NBC News | 109M | 165M | ▼ -33.9% |
| ABC News | 136M | 121M | ▲ +12.4% |
| CBS News | 35M | 51M | ▼ -31.4% |
Month-Over-Month Performance
| Brand | July 2026 YouTube Views | June 2026 YouTube Views | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 324M | 270M | ▲ +20.0% |
| MS NOW | 246M | 245M | ▲ +0.4% |
| CNN | 172M | 153M | ▲ +12.4% |
| ABC News | 136M | 112M | ▲ +21.4% |
| NBC News | 109M | 113M | ▼ -3.5% |
| CBS News | 35M | 36M | ▼ -2.8% |
What Remains Unclear: The monthly totals don’t reveal which individual programs, personalities, or breaking news events drove July’s viewing. Likewise, YouTube’s public view counts don’t indicate watch time, audience retention, or revenue generated by each publisher. Those metrics could provide additional context for overall digital engagement.
What It Means: Fox News continues to demonstrate significant digital scale beyond linear television. Its 20% month-over-month increase suggests the network capitalized on July’s news cycle more effectively than its competitors. Even though year-over-year growth remained elusive, Fox News strengthened its lead over every major television news outlet on YouTube. As publishers continue investing in digital video, monthly YouTube performance has become another important benchmark for measuring audience reach and brand momentum.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.