From Adweek · Mark Mwachiro · · 1m 50s
MS NOW and CNN surge while Fox News stumbles
Cable news ratings shift as MS NOW posts double-digit gains and CNN bounces back, while Fox News declines across all metrics.
In brief
Cable news ratings shift as MS NOW posts double-digit gains and CNN bounces back, while Fox News declines across all metrics. MS NOW and CNN both grew week-over-week while Fox News was the only major cable news network to post declines, signaling a potential shift in the competitive landscape. Originally reported by…
MS NOW bounces back strong
MS NOW posted double-digit growth across all metrics, gaining 33% in primetime total viewers and 47% in the adults 25-54 demo compared to the prior week.
MS NOW beats Fox in key demo
MS NOW defeated Fox News in the primetime demo during the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET window on Thursday, September 17, marking a significant competitive win.
Rachel Maddow Show leads Monday
The Rachel Maddow Show was the most-watched cable news program during the 9 p.m. ET hour on Monday, September 14, with 1.483 million total viewers.
Fox News slides across the board
Fox News declined 9% in primetime total viewers and 10% in the demo week-over-week, while dropping from second to fourth place in demo rankings among all basic cable networks.
CNN rebounds with steady growth
CNN grew 13% in primetime total viewers and 14% in the demo, reclaiming fourth place in total viewers and finishing 11th in the demo among all cable networks.
The Five dominates cable news
Fox News held 12 of the 15 most-watched cable news shows, with The Five at 5 p.m. ET leading with 2.772 million total viewers and 270,000 in the demo.
Year-over-year Fox faces headwinds
Compared to September 2026 a year ago, Fox News dropped 39% in primetime total viewers and 49% in the demo, while MS NOW gained 7% in viewers and 16% in the demo.
The short version
MS NOW and CNN both grew week-over-week while Fox News was the only major cable news network to post declines, signaling a potential shift in the competitive landscape.
