For the eighth consecutive year, Fox News Channel is set to conclude 2023 as the most-watched network on cable television, with its new primetime lineup thriving and “The Five” making history. FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott expressed gratitude for viewers’ continued preference for Fox News Channel during unprecedented news cycles, praising the network’s team of journalists and opinion hosts.
“The Five,” featuring Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro, and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., secured its position as the No. 1 program on cable news for the second consecutive year, drawing an average of 2.9 million total viewers. “Jesse Watters Primetime” claimed the second spot with 2.5 million average total viewers, followed by “Hannity” in third place with an average of 2.4 million. Fox News programs dominated the top 20 most-watched cable news offerings, with 13 entries.
CNN’s top-performing program, “Anderson Cooper 360,” ranked No. 29 among cable news options, managing 743,000 total viewers. Despite being CNN’s most popular show, it fell behind 14 Fox News programs and 14 MSNBC shows in total viewership.
In the coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, “The Five” claimed the No. 1 spot, marking the first time in TV history that a non-primetime cable program led in this category. Fox News programs such as “Hannity,” “Gutfeld!,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “Special Report,” “Outnumbered,” “The Faulkner Focus,” and “America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino” all surpassed CNN and MSNBC offerings in the key demo.
CNN experienced its lowest-rated year ever, with back-to-back historic lows, while MSNBC had its least-watched year in the key demo during primetime since 1999. Fox News averaged 1.2 million total day viewers, surpassing the one-million viewer benchmark, while MSNBC settled for 784,000 and CNN managed only 482,000 total day viewers.
In primetime, Fox News averaged 1.9 million total viewers, outpacing No. 2 ESPN. MSNBC secured third place with 1.2 million average primetime viewers, while CNN struggled, averaging only 586,000 primetime viewers and finishing No. 12 among cable networks, trailing behind networks like TLC, Hallmark, and HGTV.