Fox News achieved its highest Saturday ratings since 2003, with significant week-over-week and year-over-year growth. MS NOW and CNN also saw substantial increases in both total and key demographic viewers. Fox News held 13 of the 15 most-watched cable news shows for the week.
The latest cable news ratings are in, and it was a record-breaking week for Fox News, which posted its highest Saturday ratings since April 2003, when the Iraq war began. After the U.S. and Israeli military launched attacks on Iran on Saturday (February 28), viewers flocked to cable news, with Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN all averaging over a million total viewers in primetime for the week of February 23.
According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen big data + panel for the week of February 23, Fox News averaged 3.93 million total viewers and 482,000 viewers in the key Adults 25-54 demographic during primetime. This was up 58 percent in total viewers and a massive 105 percent in the demo compared to the week before. The network also had big gains across total day, with an average of 2.279 million total viewers (up 40 percent on the week prior) and 259,000 demo viewers (up 74 percent on the week prior).
MS NOW also posted gains in all measured categories, averaging 1.432 million total viewers (up 32 percent on the week before) and 167,000 demo viewers (up 49 percent) in primetime. During total day, the network averaged 846,000 total viewers (up 27 percent) and 95,000 demo viewers (up 32 percent).
It was a similar story on CNN, which averaged 1.085 million total viewers (up 45 percent) and 238,000 demo viewers (up 70 percent) in primetime. In total day, the network averaged 730,000 total viewers (up 41 percent) and 137,000 demo viewers (up 67 percent).
All three networks were also up on the same period last year. In primetime, Fox News gained 27 percent in total viewers and 23 percent in the demo, while in total day, the network grew by 15 percent in total viewers and 2 percent in the demo.
MS NOW was up 17 percent in total viewers and 46 percent in the demo in primetime compared to last year. During total day, the network gained 28 percent in total viewers and 44 percent in the key demo.
CNN posted the biggest year-over-year gains, with an 83 percent increase in total viewers and a 100 percent rise in the demo in primetime. For total day, the network gained 57 percent in total viewers and 63 percent in the demo.
Fox News continued to dominate the charts, holding 13 out of the 15 most-watched cable news shows of the week. The Five held the top spot with 4.149 million total viewers. The only non-Fox shows in the Top 15 were MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show (9th place with 2.593 million viewers) and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (15th place with 1.542 million viewers).
Jesse Watters Primetime topped the 25-54 demo chart with an average of 431,000 viewers. Fox News again held 13 of the 15 top spots, with the outliers being The Rachel Maddow Show (9th place with 285,000 demo viewers) and CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (15th place with 195,000 demo viewers).
