Fox News Sets New Primetime Record for 2018
Fox News Channel beat all comers in 2018, ranking, once again, as the most-watched basic cable network for the third year in a row.
FNC also enjoyed its highest primetime ratings since its launch in 1996.
According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News averaged 1.4 million total day viewers, while during primetime an average of 2.4 million tuned in.
The 2.4 million figure represents FNC’s highest primetime rating in its 22-year history.
By way of comparison, no other basic cable network averaged over 2 million primetime viewers during 2018.
The next closest was ESPN with 1.9 million, followed by MSNBC (1.8 million), HGTV (1.3 million) and USA Network (1.2 million) rounding out the top five, according to Multichannel News.
“Hannity” finished the year as the most-watched cable news program, averaging 3.3 million viewers per night, with “The Rachel Maddow Show” coming in second at 2.9 million.
TV RATINGS: 2018’s top 10 cable news shows:
1⃣@SeanHannity
2⃣@Maddow
3⃣@TuckerCarlson
4⃣@IngrahamAngle
5⃣@TheFive @DanaPerino @GregGutfeld @JesseBWatters @TheJuanWilliams
6⃣@BretBaier
7⃣@Lawrence
8⃣@MarthaMacCallum
9⃣@ChrisLHayes
?@AmericaNewsroom@BillHemmer @SandraSmithFox— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) January 1, 2019
Seven of the top 10 highest rated programs in cable news are on Fox.
In addition to “Hannity,” they include: “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “The Five,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” and “America’s Newsroom,” with anchors Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith.
“The Five” co-host Greg Gutfeld quipped on Twitter regarding his program’s 2018 final ranking, “The Five at number five. Of course, we did that on purpose: could have been higher up, but said, ‘no, it would far more poetic if we settle for number five.'”
the Five at number five. Of course, we did that on purpose: could have been higher up, but said, “no, it would far more poetic if we settle for number five.” https://t.co/wkl0nX177D
— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) January 1, 2019
Fox News also made the top five most watched networks in all of primetime television — broadcast and basic cable — for 2018.
NBC came in first with 6.4 million total viewers, trailed by CBS (5.7 million), ABC (4.2 million), FOX (3.3 million), and FNC at 2.4 million total viewers.
In a joint statement on the network’s record ratings, FNC’s CEO Suzanne Scott and president Jay Wallace said, “FOX News continues to outperform other basic cable networks, proving once again that our news coverage and premiere team of journalists and opinion hosts are the best in the business.”
They added, “With the recent launch of FOX Nation, an increased focus on digital and the strong ratings momentum we have built, we are confident that 2019 will offer our loyal viewers even more ways to engage with FOX News.”
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