Fox News Channel viewership thumps MSNBC, CNN combined throughout February

‘The Five,’ ‘Gutfeld!’ finish No. 1 among cable news programs in critical categories

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Fox News Channel dominated the cable landscape during February, finishing as the most-watched network across total day viewership and primetime while beating MSNBC and CNN combined. 

Fox News Channel averaged 1.3 million total day viewers to top all of basic cable, compared to 852,000 for MSNBC and 479,000 for CNN. Fox News was the only cable news network to average over one million total day viewers.

During the primetime hours of 8-11 p.m., Fox News topped all of basic cable with 2.1 million viewers compared to 1.3 million for MSNBC and a dismal 573,000 for struggling CNN. Fox News has finished the No. 1 cable news network in primetime for 37 months and has won total day viewership for 36-straight months. 

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Fox News primetime line up

Fox News Channel hosts Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld. (Fox News)

Fox News had its highest-rated month since October 2023 and closed out February with 96 of the top 100 cable news telecasts. MSNBC managed only four of the top 100 telecasts and CNN failed to crack the list. 

"The Five," with Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.1 million viewers to finish as the most-watched program on cable news. "The Five" has been the No. 1 show in cable news for over nine consecutive quarters.

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The Five New

"The Five" has been the No. 1 show in cable news for over nine consecutive quarters.  (FOX News media)

"Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," "The Ingraham Angle," "Special Report with Bret Baier" and "Gutfeld!" rounded out the top six programs to all outdraw anything MSNBC had to offer. 

CNN’s most-watched program was "Erin Burnett OutFront," which averaged 743,000 to finish as the No. 29 program in cable news. Despite being CNN’s most-watched show, "OutFront" finished behind 14 Fox News programs and 14 MSNBC offerings. 

"Gutfeld!" topped the key demo, averaging 325,000 adults age 25-54, as Fox News programs accounted for the 13 most-popular shows among the group most coveted by advertisers. 

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Greg Gutfeld

"Gutfeld!" topped the key demo, averaging 325,000 adults age 25-54 as Fox News programs during February. 

"Gutfeld!" was also the most "DVR’d" show in cable news among demo viewers and remained the most-watched program among late-night competition, beating "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon," "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "CBS’ After Midnight" among total viewership.

Fox News also crushed MSNBC and CNN during the weekends, thumping CNN and MSNBC across total day and primetime with viewers and winning every hour among total viewers on Saturdays. 

All data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research. 

Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @briansflood. 

Authored by Brian Flood via FoxNews February 27th 2024