April 2019 Ratings: Fox News Marks 34 Consecutive Months as the Most-Watched Cable Network

By A.J. Katz 

Fox News Is America’s Most-Watched Cable Network

Fox News Channel had another strong month in the ratings department.

FNC is finishing the month of April as the most-watched network among total viewers in both total day and prime time, per Nielsen.

The network has been the most-watched across the 6 a.m. – 6 a.m. daypart for 34 consecutive months now (1.4 million total viewers), and No. 1 in total prime time audience for three consecutive months (2.4 million total viewers).

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For the 208th month in a row (not a typo), Fox News also beat CNN and MSNBC in total viewers across both dayparts.

FNC didn’t lose a whole lot of traction relative to its April 2018 total audience delivery. Compared to the same month last year, Fox News was flat in total prime time viewers and only -3% in total day viewers.

But the story was different when it came to drawing viewers from the key A25-54 viewers. Yes, Fox News remained No. 1 in cable news in that category, but the network was -19% vs. April 2018 in prime time, and -16%  in total day.

The average Nielsen live + same day impressions for April 2019:

  • Prime time (Mon-Sun): 2,395,000 total viewers / 389,000 A25-54
  • Total Day (Mon-Sun): 1,351,000 total viewers / 243,000 A25-54

On the programming front – Hannity had the top cable news show across the board in April (3.1 million total viewers / 514,000 demo viewers), with his lead-in Tucker Carlson Tonight coming in second place. Rachel Maddow finished in third place across cable news.

FNC programs accounted for nine of the top 15 cable news programs in total viewers and claimed 10 of the top 15 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Ingraham Angle and The Five were among the top five cable news programs in both total viewers and in the 25-54 demo.

Plus, there was the Fox News-Bernie Sanders town hall, which took place earlier this month and now ranks as the most-watched of the 2020 election cycle to-date.

FBN:

Lou Dobbs’ eponymous program Lou Dobbs Tonight and Stuart Varney’s market-open program Varney & Co. remained the two-most-watched shows on business TV news for April.

Below are the April 2019 numbers for FBN:

Business Day (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.):

FBN: 163,000 total viewers / 18,000 A25-54

CNBC: 164,000 total viewers / 29,000 A25-54

 

Market Hours (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

FBN: 170,000 total viewers / 18,000 A25-54

CNBC: 167,000 total viewers / 30,000 A25-54

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