Fox News Channel delivers highest-rated non-election year ever to rival broadcast networks

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Fox News Channel delivers highest-rated non-election year ever to rival broadcast networks

FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott calls success ‘a testament to the strength of our brand and our ability to meet the audience where they are’

Brian Flood Fox News

Published

December 15, 2025 7:13pm EST

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Fox News Channel had its highest-rated non-election year in history in 2025 as Americans continued to rely on the record-breaking network for critical information and analysis.

Fox News dominated cable with its second-highest rated year in history, and the network is on track to overtake NBC in weekday primetime viewers, making it the third highest-rated network in all television.

"Delivering another record-breaking year, outpacing broadcast networks, and reaching new highs on YouTube is a testament to the strength of our brand and our ability to meet the audience where they are. I am incredibly proud of our unrivaled team on and off camera, whose journalism, global newsgathering skills and powerful voices continue to set the standard in news and connect with Americans nationwide," FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said.

Fox News averaged 1.7 million total day viewers to lead all basic cable, while No. 2 ESPN averaged only 775,000. MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) managed 552,000 total day viewers and CNN settled for 436,000 as the cable news competitors failed to outdraw Fox News combined.

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Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier. (FOX News Media)

During the primetime hours of 8-11 p.m., Fox News averaged a staggering 2.7 million viewers to win atop the cable landscape. ESPN finished second with 2 million, MS NOW came in third with 923,000 and TNT finished fourth with an average primetime audience of 778,000. CNN delivered only 580,000 average viewers during primetime, finishing behind HGTV and TBS to finish seventh.

Fox News has finished as the No. 1 cable network for 10 straight years. Along the way, Fox News held 64% of the cable news audience in both total day and primetime to secure its highest share of the cable news audience since it launched in 1996.

Fox News also obliterated CNN and MS NOW among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, averaging 185,000 total day viewers in the critical category, compared to 71,000 for CNN and only 49,000 for MS NOW.

The results were similar during primetime, as Fox News delivered 287,000 average demo viewers while CNN had 105,000. It was CNN’s worst demo performance of all time among both total and primetime viewers.

It was bleak for MS NOW during primetime, as the network finished with an average primetime audience of only 81,000 demo viewers to finish behind 17 cable options including Nick-at-Nite, Adult Swim, FX, Comedy Central and TLC. It was MS NOW’s worst performance in the demo since MSNBC launched in 1997.

Fox News saw gains among viewers in both total day and primetime compared to 2024, while CNN and MS NOW saw declines across the board. Additionally, Fox News was the fastest growing network in all of television with viewers across both categories.

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Fox News Channel averaged 1.6 million total day viewers to lead all basic cable options during the second quarter while topping MSNBC’s average audience of 596,000 and CNN’s 406,000 combined. Fox News has now been No. 1 in all of cable among total day viewers for 17 straight quarters.

Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld. (FOX News Media)

As Fox News left CNN and MS NOW in its dust, it also averaged 3.2 million viewers in weekday primetime leading NBC’s 3.1 million viewers while closing the gap with both ABC and CBS.

"The Five," "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," "Special Report with Bret Baier," "Gutfeld!," "The Ingraham Angle," "The Will Cain Show," "Outnumbered" with co-hosts Harris Faulkner, Emily Compagno and Kayleigh McEnany, "The Faulkner Focus," "America’s Newsroom" with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino, "The Story" with Martha MacCallum and "America Reports" with Sandra Smith and John Roberts finished as the top 12 cable news programs among total viewers as Fox News aired the top 1,080 cable news telecasts in 2025.

"The Five," with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., made history by marking the fourth consecutive year it has drawn the largest audience in cable news. "The Five" delivered its best year ever with 4.1 million viewers and 382,000 in the critical demo.

"Gutfeld!" delivered its highest-rated year in program history among both categories, averaging 3.1 million total viewers and 362,000 among the demo. Greg Gutfeld’s program finished as late-night television’s most-watched program, outdrawing CBS’ outgoing "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," ABC’s "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," NBC’s "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and NBC’s "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon."

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President Donald Trump sits for an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in the Oval Office. (Fox News / Hannity)

"The Ingraham Angle" dominated its timeslot as Laura Ingraham once again finished the year as the highest-rated woman in cable news with three million viewers, while "Jesse Watters Primetime" averaged 3.6 million to finish as the No. 1 cable news program with primetime viewers.

"Hannity" dominated its timeslot with 3.2 million viewers and "FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher" topped the 11 p.m. ET hour with 1.7 million viewers.

"Special Report with Bret Baier" delivered over 3.1 million viewers and 317,000 in the demo while continuing to close the gap with broadcast competition. "Special Report" outdrew "CBS Evening News" 11 times in 2025 and saw year-over-year gains while "CBS Evening News" posted declines.

On Feb. 28, Baier’s interview with President Zelenskyy following his Oval Office meeting with President Trump peaked at 6.4 million viewers and 855,000 in the demo to lead both "CBS Evening News" and "NBC Nightly News."

OVER 10 MILLION VIEWERS WATCHED FOX NEWS' INAUGURATION COVERAGE, CRUSHING ALL OTHER NETWORKS

Volodymyr Zelenskyy interviewed by Bret Baier on Fox News Special Report

Bret Baier’s interview with President Zelenskyy following his Oval Office meeting with President Trump peaked at 6.4 million viewers on February 28. (Fox News)

"FOX & Friends" dominated the morning cable news landscape as the highest-rated morning show for the 25th consecutive year with 1.4 million viewers, topping "CBS Mornings" in 24 markets, including New York and Chicago. "FOX & Friends" also beat ABC’s "Good Morning America" in 15 markets and NBC "Today" in seven markets.

"FOX News Live" finished as the most-watched cable news show on Saturday with 1.6 million viewers, while "Life, Liberty and Levin" took the primetime crown with 1.5 million.

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On Sundays, "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" drew the largest weekend cable news audience with two million.

Additionally, throughout 2025 on YouTube, Fox News piled up 4.3 billion video views for a 57% increase compared to 2024. It was Fox News’ best year ever on YouTube, leading MS NOW, CNN, NBC News, ABC News and CBS News, according to Emplifi.

Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.

Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital. Story tips can be sent to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood.

Fox News Channel delivers highest-rated non-election year ever to rival broadcast networks