The Lead
Few television networks — regardless of network or cable TV — have been as hot as Fox News this summer. And that was on display last week, as the network saw double-digit growth in a key category.
During the week of July 28th, Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime. That figure is effectively flat from the previous week, and was virtually on par with the ratings finish the network saw during the same week in 2024.
Fox News did make substantial gains in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic during the week. The network’s viewership in that sector grew by 11% during the week of July 28th, up to 258,000 viewers. In total day viewership, Fox News also saw a nearly 7% increase in the key demographic, up to 167,000 viewers.
In the overall total day ratings, Fox News averaged 1.5 million viewers, which is relatively flat compared to each of the past four weeks, when it finished with 1.544 million (July 7th), 1.483 million (July 14th), and 1.484 million (July 21st).
During the week of July 28th, CNN also saw a slight uptick in viewership. In the primetime ratings, the network was up 4% to finish the week just under 500,000 total viewers in the daypart. While the network was up week-over-week, it did finish 28% lower in the primetime ratings than it did during the same time period in 2024.
In the key demo, the network averaged 85,000 total viewers in primetime.
MSNBC Sees Double-Digit Drop
The news for the week of July 28th wasn’t as rosy for MSNBC as its cable news counterparts.
During the week, the primetime audience at the network dropped to 754,000. That figure represents a 17% decline week-over-week. The news was even worse compared to the same week in 2024, as MSNBC saw a 46% drop in total viewers.
After besting CNN in the key demographic during the week of July 14th, MSNBC has seen its total in that sector dwindle each of the past two weeks, dropping from 91,000 to 78,000 the week of July 21st, down to 68,000 during the week of July 28th. That’s a drop of 25% in three weeks’ time.
In the total day ratings, MSNBC averaged 506,000 viewers, well surpassing the 353,000 total seen by CNN.
However, similarly to the primetime ratings, MSNBC has seen its audience in the Adults 25-54 demographic decline in each of the past two weeks. During the week of July 14th, it averaged 54,000 viewers from the sector. The following week, it dropped to 50,000 before reaching 46,000 during the week of July 28th. That 46,000 figure is the third-lowest finish in-demo for MSNBC in the total ratings this year.
CBS Evening News Biggest Gainer As Each Network Newscast Grows
The data for CBS Evening News hasn’t been all that positive since longtime anchor Norah O’Donnell exited the program earlier this year. But that changed during the week of July 28th, as the newscast was the top gainer, as it and each of its counterparts saw an increase in viewership.
During the week, the CBS News program saw a 6% increase in overall viewership, up to 3.8 million viewers. For comparison’s sake, the network newscast featured as many as 5.2 million viewers this year ahead of O’Donnell’s departure.
During the week, CBS News also averaged 553,000 viewers from the Adults 25-54 demographic. That figure represents an 11% week-over-week increase. It also marks the second time since the week of March 31st that the network has averaged more than 550,000 viewers from the sector.
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir remained as the top network newscast for the week. It averaged 7.4 million viewers for the week, its largest average audience since the week of June 16th. ABC News featured just over 1 million viewers from the key demo for the week. It marked the 12th straight week that the newscast led by Muir was the top overall program in all of television.
Like its competitors, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas also saw an increase in viewership. It’s week-over-week viewership grew by 2%, up to 5.6 million viewers. That newscast also featured 807,000 viewers from the key demographic, an increase of 4% compared to the previous week.
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.
