Ratings

Overnight Cable News Ratings Jan. 3-6: Fox News Starts the Year on Top

CNN and MSNBC traded second place finishes in the measured categories

Overnight RatingsCourtesy CNN/Fox/MSNBC, illustration by Adweek
Adweek Bio
By Mark Mwachiro

Friday, Jan. 3


The Five is the most-watched show heading into the first weekend of 2025 with over three million total viewers. The most-watched shows on all three networks notably fell outside of primetime as The Lead with Jake Tapper led the way for CNN, while Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace was first for MSNBC.

25-54 Demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 225 | CNN: 66 | MSNBC: 55
Prime: FNC: 208 | CNN: 52 | MSNBC: 41

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Breaking News:
280		 Tapper:
62		 Deadline: White House:
78
5PM Five:
351		 Tapper:
72		 Deadline: White House:
—
6PM Baier:
312		 Blitzer:
74		 Melber:
63
7PM Ingraham Angle:
236		 Burnett:
59		 Reid:
51
8PM Watters Primetime:
202		 Cooper:
56		 Hayes:
42
9PM Hannity:
187		 The Source:
54		 Wagner Tonight:
39
10PM Gutfeld!:
234		 Phillip:
46		 Last Word:
43
11PM Gallagher:
187		 Coates:
49		 Ruhle:
52

Total Viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 1.963 | CNN: 434 | MSNBC: 613
Prime: FNC: 2.179 | CNN: 312 | MSNBC: 598

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Breaking News:
2.356		 Tapper:
576		 Deadline: White House:
909
5PM Five:
3.420		 Tapper:
533		 Deadline: White House:
—-
6PM Baier:
2.687		 Blitzer:
479		 Melber:
768
7PM Ingraham Angle:
2.009		 Burnett:
434		 Reid:
687
8PM Watters Primetime:
2.280		 Cooper:
350		 Hayes:
683
9PM Hannity:
2.030		 The Source:
278		 Wagner Tonight:
566
10PM Gutfeld!:
2.228		 Phillip:
309		 Last Word:
545
11PM Gallagher:
1.305		 Coates:
272		 Ruhle:
454

Saturday, Jan. 4


CNN finishes ahead of MSNBC in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during total day and primetime. All three networks carried coverage of former President Jimmy Carter‘s body being transported from Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta, Georgia following his death on Dec. 29.

25-54 Demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 120 | CNN: 54 | MSNBC: 30
Prime: FNC: 101 | CNN: 63 | MSNBC: 24

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Jimmy Carter:
95		 CNN Newsroom:
81		 Jimmy Carter:
40
4:43PM FN Live:
93		 CNN Newsroom:
—-		 Jimmy Carter:
—-
5PM Five:
100		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
60		 Sharpton:
39
6PM Fox Report:
118		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
54		 Capeheart:
34
7PM Big Weekend Show:
155		 Jimmy Carter:
48		 Ayman:
25
8PM Levin:
103		 Jimmy Carter:
—-		 Ayman:
—-
9PM Kilmeade:
94		 Luther:
72		 Wallace:
26
10PM Failla:
105		 Luther:
—-		 Life of Service:
23
11PM Gutfeld:
98		 The 80s:
35		 Ruhle:
24

Total Viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 1.147 | CNN: 361 | MSNBC: 333
Prime: FNC: 1.094 | CNN: 360 | MSNBC: 243

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Jimmy Carter:
967		 CNN Newsroom:
554		 Jimmy Carter:
447
4:43PM FN Live:
808		 CNN Newsroom:
—-		 Jimmy Carter:
—-
5PM Five:
1.120		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
470		 Sharpton:
408
6PM Fox Report:
1.287		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
371		 Capeheart:
346
7PM Big Weekend Show:
1.491		 Jimmy Carter:
384		 Ayman:
265
8PM Levin:
1.288		 Jimmy Carter:
—-		 Ayman:
—-
9PM Kilmeade:
1.061		 Luther:
333		 Wallace:
291
10PM Failla:
932		 Luther:
—-		 Life of Service:
203
11PM Gutfeld:
783		 80s:
180		 Ruhle:
185

Sunday, Jan. 5


Fox News’ Life, Liberty & Levin narrowly beats The Big Weekend Show for the title of most-watched show of the evening. Elsewhere, CNN led MSNBC in the A25-54 demo, while MSNBC finished ahead in total viewers. Both networks failed to crack the 300,000 total viewer mark heading into Monday.

Total Day: FNC: 104 | CNN: 38 | MSNBC: 31
Prime: FNC: 101 | CNN: 28 | MSNBC: 18

25-54 Demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM FN Live:
54		 CNN Newsroom/Whitfield:
31		 Wallace:
28
5PM Levin:
48		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
37		 Sharpton:
20
6PM Fox Report:
61		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
55		 Capeheart:
30
7PM Big Weekend Show:
90		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
43		 Ayman:
27
8PM Levin:
101		 The Whole Story:
26		 Ayman:
—-
9PM Gowdy:
99		 Vegas:
26		 Wallace:
14
10PM Big Weekend Show:
103		 Vegas:
33		 Psaki:
20
11PM Levin:
95		 Vegas:
38		 Ayman:
13

Total Viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 1.022 | CNN: 251 | MSNBC: 284
Prime: FNC: 1.115 | CNN: 173 | MSNBC: 196

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM FN Live:
734		 CNN Newsroom/Whitfield:
276		 Wallace:
242
5PM Levin:
604		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
355		 Sharpton:
331
6PM Fox Report:
929		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
334		 Capeheart:
292
7PM Big Weekend Show:
1.298		 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
295		 Ayman:
296
8PM Levin:
1.258		 The Whole Story:
173		 Ayman:
—-
9PM Gowdy:
1.176		 Vegas:
156		 Wallace:
155
10PM Big Weekend Show:
912		 Vegas:
190		 Psaki:
193
11PM Levin:
627		 Vegas:
147		 Ayman:
144

Monday, Jan. 6


The first full week of 2025 began with Fox News in first place, MSNBC in second place, and CNN in third. The Five jumped back over the 4 million threshold in total viewers, while MSNBC’s most-watched show was The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Lead with Jake Tapper ranked first for CNN.

25-54 Demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 270 | CNN: 56 | MSNBC: 53
Prime: FNC: 366 | CNN: 66 | MSNBC: 88

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Your World:
232		 Tapper:
68		 Wallace:
65
5PM Five:
430		 Tapper:
84		 Wallace:
—
6PM Baier:
335		 Blitzer:
51		 Melber:
57
7PM Ingraham:
329		 Burnett:
66		 Reid:
52
8PM Watters:
409		 Cooper:
72		 Psaki:
50
9PM Hannity:
309		 Collins:
60		 Maddow:
117
10PM Gutfeld:
380		 Phillip:
66		 O’Donnell:
96
11PM Gallagher:
220		 Coates:
41		 Ruhle:
37

Total Viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total Day: FNC: 2.292 | CNN: 410 | MSNBC: 687
Prime: FNC: 3.163 | CNN: 401 | MSNBC: 1.206

FNC: CNN: MSNBC:
4PM Your World:
2.050		 Tapper:
553		 Wallace:
982
5PM Five:
4.380		 Blitzer:
567		 Wallace:
—-
6PM Baier:
3.087		 Blitzer:
464		 Melber:
856
7PM Ingraham:
2.792		 Burnett:
468		 Reid:
708
8PM Watters:
3.684		 Cooper:
455		 Psaki:
733
9PM Hannity:
2.785		 Collins:
387		 Maddow:
1.621
10PM Gutfeld:
3.021		 Phillip:
361		 O’Donnell:
1.263
11PM Gallagher:
1.596		 Coates
281		 Ruhle:
565
Adweek Bio

Mark Mwachiro

Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022. Based out of New York, Mark has also contributed to ADWEEK.

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