Nielsen data shows broadcast television attracted more viewers than cable news during Election Night coverage. However, cable networks accounted for a significant portion of the audience.
What We Know: A total of 31.2 million viewers watched midterm Election Night coverage across 13 networks on Tuesday, according to Nielsen. The audience included viewers who tuned into both over-the-air broadcast networks and cable news channels. While broadcast television captured the larger share at 57%, cable news still accounted for 43% of the overall audience.
What The Numbers Show:
| Network | Total Viewership |
|---|---|
| NBC News | 6.7 million |
| ABC News | 5.2 million |
| CBS News | 2.8 million |
| Network | Total Viewership |
|---|---|
| Fox News | 4.3 million |
| CNN | 4.1 million |
| MS NOW | 3.7 million |
| Newsmax | 576K |
| Fox Business | 346K |
| NewsNation | 233K |
What Remains Unclear: Nielsen’s figures don’t specify how many viewers watched election coverage through streaming platforms or other digital distribution channels. Additionally, the available network breakdown doesn’t include individual totals for all 13 networks.
What It Means: Broadcast television maintained an advantage over cable news for one of the biggest political news events of the year. Still, Fox News, CNN, and MS NOW collectively attracted 12.1 million viewers, demonstrating the continued reach of cable news during major election coverage.
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