• by Wayne Friedman , April 3, 2025

Fox News Channel hit a new record in the first quarter -- its highest cable news viewing share ever in prime time and daytime -- at 66% and 65%, respectively, according to Nielsen.

The top three cable TV networks' total prime-time viewing is up 17% to 4.59 million from 3.91 million in the first quarter of 2024.

For the first three months of 2024, Fox News Channel dominated with 3.0 million total prime-time viewers and 1.9 million total day viewers -- up 48% (from 2.1 million) and 58% (from 1.3 million), respectively, compared to the year-ago first-quarter period.

Recently Fox News Channel posted a rare accomplishment -- besting two major broadcast networks during the week of February 24. Fox averaged 3.6 million total viewers during weekday prime time -- higher than NBC Television Network (3.5 million viewers), and ABC Television Network (2.2 million viewers).

For the recent first-quarter period, MSNBC was at 1.0 million prime-time viewers and 593,000 total day viewers -- down 18% (from 1.25 million) and 27% (from 814,000) from a year ago.

CNN was at 558,000 total primetime viewers and 428,000 total day viewers -- down 1% (from 594,000) and 8% (from 467,000), respectively.

The most-viewed cable TV network show during this period was Fox’s “The Five” with 4.5 million viewers, and the network had the top 14 of 15 cable TV network news programs.

The best results for MSNBC were from “The Rachel Maddow Show,” 1.98 million, while CNN's “The Lead With Jake Tapper” came in at 662,000.

Growing conservative-focused news channel Newsmax is now at 305,000 in the first quarter of 2025 -- up from 250,000 in the second quarter of 2024 and 231,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023.