FOX News had a fantastic year, reaching new heights in ratings while its more liberal competitors CNN and MSNOW (formerly MSNBC) saw their ratings sink significantly. It’s easy to see how this happened.
CNN is almost unwatchable. They have one pro-Trump voice in Scott Jennings. Without him, they would probably be underwater. MSNOW, which adopted its new name this year, saw its ratings shrink by about 25%, and some of that has to do with the name change. Without the gravitas of NBC News backing them up, they’ve lost whatever shred of credibility they used to have, along with the promotional power of a major network.
FOX News is the only cable news network that provides viewers with a variety of voices on the conservative and liberal sides. They also feature both critics and supporters of President Trump. No other cable news network can say they do the same thing.
NewsBusters reports (emphasis is theirs):
The Year in Ratings: Fox News Soars, MS NOW Is Down, Down, Down….Fox News is on the upswing, while MS NOW and CNN are falling off. It would be unsurprising for “news” networks to lose audience after a presidential campaign year, but Fox’s success makes the others look worse. Overall, Fox News scored its highest ratings for the year ever for a non-election year, second only to 2020.According to Nielsen Media Research, released on December 15, Fox News averaged 2.72 million primetime viewers and 287,000 viewers in the key adults 25-54 demographic in 2025. This was up 14 per cent in total viewers and 18 per cent in the demo compared to last year.In comparison, MSNBC (now MS NOW) averaged 923,000 total viewers (down 25 per cent on 2024) and 81,000 demo viewers (down 39 per cent), and CNN averaged 580,000 total viewers (down 15 per cent) and 105,000 demo viewers (down 29 per cent).The story was the same in total day numbers. Fox News came out on top with 1.7 million viewers (up 18 per cent on 2024) and 185,000 demo viewers (down 1 per cent). CNN averaged 436,000 viewers (down 9 per cent) and 71,000 demo viewers (down 22 per cent), while MS NOW averaged 552,000 viewers (down 30 per cent) and 49,000 demo viewers (down 42 per cent).
The TV Insider breaks it down by programs:
As for programming, Fox News shows made up the Top 12 cable news programs for 2025 in viewers, with The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime, Gutfeld!, and Hannity leading the way.The Five finished top of the chart for the fourth year running, averaging its best ratings ever with 4.1 million viewers and 382,000 in the 25-54 demo. Frequent Five co-host Greg Gutfeld also had success with his own program, Gutfeld!, which delivered its highest-ever demo viewership, averaging 362,000.Jesse Watters Primetime was the most-watched cable news program in primetime, averaging 3.6 million viewers and 377,000 in the key demo, while Laura Ingraham‘s The Ingraham Angle averaged 3 million viewers and 309,000 demo viewers, making Ingraham the highest-rated woman in cable news.Meanwhile, Hannity dominated weeknights at 9 pm ET with an average of 3.2 million viewers and 353,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Congratulations to everyone at FOX News for another very successful year.
Featured image via YouTube.
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