# Cable news ratings sink across the board

> Fox, MS NOW and CNN all lost viewers the week of September 7, defying the typical post-Labor Day bounce.
- Title: Cable news ratings sink across the board · Adweek | Shortify
- Summary: Fox, MS NOW and CNN all lost viewers the week of September 7, defying the typical post-Labor Day bounce. All three major cable news networks experienced…
- Keywords: cable news, ratings, fox news, ms now, cnn, viewership decline, september 2026, primetime, total day, nielsen ratings, Cable, news
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/tvnewser/week-of-sept-7-2026-cable-news-ratings
- Author: Mark Mwachiro
- Published: 2026-09-22T20:05:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cable news, ratings, fox news, ms now, cnn, viewership decline, september 2026, primetime, total day, nielsen ratings
## All three networks lose viewers
Fox News, MS NOW and CNN all saw week-to-week declines in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demographic during both primetime and total day viewing.
## Fox News holds up better
Fox News saw marginal primetime drops compared to its competitors, declining 1% in total viewers and 2% in the demo versus the prior week.
## MS NOW hit hardest
MS NOW suffered the largest viewership loss, dropping 16% in total primetime viewers and 38% in the demo compared with the previous week.
## Post-Labor Day bounce didn't happen
The week after Labor Day typically brings an uptick in viewership as audiences return to their routines, but all three networks declined instead.
## Fox dominates most-watched shows
Fox News held 14 of the 15 most-watched cable news programs, with The Five leading at 2.796 million viewers. MS NOW's Deadline: White House ranked 14th with 992,000 viewers.
## Year-over-year comparisons show steeper drops
Compared to September 2025, Fox News is down 42% in total viewers and 61% in the demo during primetime. MS NOW and CNN also show significant year-over-year declines.
## Key takeaway

All three major cable news networks experienced simultaneous viewership declines in the week after Labor Day, with MS NOW hit hardest.