The most recent comprehensive cable news ratings data available (as of early-to-mid April 2026) comes from Nielsen (via sources like Adweek and Deadline) for March 2026 and the full Q1 2026 (January–March). These cover primetime (typically 8–11 p.m. ET, Monday–Sunday) and total day averages in total viewers (P2+) and the key Adults 25-54 demographic.
March 2026 Primetime Averages
Fox News: 2.994 million total viewers; 323,000 A25-54
MSNOW: 1.262 million total viewers; 130,000 A25-54
CNN: 898,000 total viewers; 175,000 A25-54
Fox News led comfortably in both metrics. CNN outperformed MSNOW in the 25-54 demo despite lower total viewers.
March 2026 Total Day Averages
Fox News: 1.897 million total viewers; 197,000 A25-54
MSNOW: 757,000 total viewers; 80,000 A25-54
CNN: 638,000 total viewers; 110,000 A25-54
Q1 2026 Primetime Averages
Fox News: 2.585 million total viewers; 265,000 A25-54
MSNOW: 1.108 million total viewers; 114,000 A25-54
CNN: 797,000 total viewers; 156,000 A25-54
Fox News dominated, marking its 97th consecutive quarter as the top cable news network in primetime. CNN and MSNOW both saw year-over-year gains in viewers and demo, while Fox was down YoY in most categories (likely due to post-election normalization).
Q1 2026 Total Day AveragesFox News: ~1.703–1.71 million total viewers; ~171,000–172,000 A25-54
MSNOW: ~690,000–691,000 total viewers; ~72,000 A25-54
CNN: ~576,000–577,000 total viewers; ~101,000 A25-54
In Q1 2026, Newsmax was up +26% in primetime total viewers and +29% in the A25-54 demo (specific averages not detailed in the main reports, but its top show, Rob Schmitt Tonight, drew hundreds of thousands in peak periods).
As of early April 2026 weekly data, Newsmax averaged around 237,000 primetime total viewers (ranking ~32nd among all cable networks that week).
It occasionally spikes higher with big events (e.g., millions for special coverage like the State of the Union).
Fox News consistently ranks #1 overall, often beating not just cable news rivals but also major broadcast primetime in some periods. CNN and MSNOW trade second/third place depending on the metric and timeframe, with MSNOW usually stronger in total viewers and CNN sometimes competitive in the advertiser-valued 25-54 demo. Ratings can fluctuate weekly based on news cycles.
