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Fox News Channel achieved a record-breaking week, commanding the highest share of the cable news audience in its 28-year history from November 11-17.

The network’s weekly dominance extended across total day and primetime categories, leaving competitors MSNBC and CNN grappling with significant audience losses.

Fox averaged 1.9 million total viewers during the week, the only cable network to surpass the one-million mark. 

ESPN trailed in second place with 837,000 viewers, while Hallmark Channel ranked third with 503,000 viewers.

 MSNBC followed in fourth with 487,000 viewers, and CNN rounded out the top five with a modest 337,000 viewers.

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Trump Victory Shifts Audience Share

The aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris played a crucial role in the shifting audience dynamics.

MSNBC, which appeals largely to liberal viewers, saw its lowest-rated week in more than 25 years. 

The network lost 50% of its audience compared to its 2024 totals and suffered a 43% decline in the critical 25-54 demographic.

CNN fared no better, experiencing double-digit percentage drops across the board and hitting an all-time weekly low in the same key demo, with only 58,000 average viewers.

Such dramatic shifts are not uncommon after contentious elections, particularly for networks catering to one side of the political divide. While executives hope to regain their audience, this was a particularly divisive and venomous election season that presents a unique challenge to cable news audiences.

The election had a huge impact on an already shrinking viewership that had already been turning to online sources. 

Fox News Channel Dominates Ratings

Fox News secured a commanding 69% share of total day cable news viewers for the week, further cementing its position as the leader in cable news. During primetime hours (8-11 p.m. ET), the network averaged three million viewers, surpassing competitors ESPN, Hallmark, and Paramount. 

Fox’s 72% share of cable news primetime viewers dwarfed MSNBC’s 684,000 and CNN’s 464,000.

Additionally, Fox claimed the top 100 cable news telecasts of the week, a feat unparalleled by its competitors. In the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic, Fox averaged 236,000 total viewers during the day and 360,000 in primetime, outperforming both CNN and MSNBC for the 194th consecutive week among total viewers and the 185th straight week in the demo.

CNN and MSNBC’s Ratings Collapse