Fox News remained the top news television brand on YouTube in August, despite a monthly decline in views, according to Emplifi. Meanwhile, ABC News and CBS News posted modest gains as NBC News held steady.
What We Know: YouTube continues to provide a major distribution platform for television news brands. Fox News led the group again in August, although its monthly total fell from July. ABC News remained a distant second, while NBC News finished third. CBS News trailed the other three networks, but it recorded the strongest percentage growth during the month. The four brands generated 578 million YouTube views in August. That marked a 6% decline from the 613 million views recorded in July. Fox News accounted for nearly half of the August total, despite losing 37 million views month-over-month. CBS News added 10 million views, giving it the largest percentage increase among the four networks.
What the Numbers Show:
| Network | August 2026 | July 2026 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 287 million | 324 million | ▼ 11.4% |
| ABC News | 137 million | 136 million | ▲ 0.7% |
| NBC News | 109 million | 109 million | 0.0% |
| CBS News | 45 million | 35 million | ▲ 28.6% |
What Remains Unclear: What led to the decline for Fox News on a month-over-month basis. It is also unclear how the performances by ABC News and NBC News remained steady over the two months.
What It Means: Still, the numbers reinforce YouTube’s importance for television news brands seeking audiences beyond traditional linear viewing. Fox News maintains a sizable advantage, but ABC News and CBS News showed that the rankings can shift when monthly viewing patterns change.
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