Fox News Channel is back at the top of the ratings in day and primetime viewers, after becoming the sole basic cable news network to dip in the first week of Donald Trump's criminal trial.
According to figures from Nielsen, the network drew 2.004 million total primetime viewers in the week beginning April 29. This represented a 4 percent increase in viewers on the previous week.
Fox News rose from third to second place in total primetime viewers among all basic cable networks, while retaining its number one slot in total day metrics. Rivals experienced dramatic dips in the same period.
These figures represent a return to form for market leader Fox. In the previous week CNN and MSNBC experienced a boost in viewers as Trump's trial dominated the news cycle, and Fox News was the only one of three basic cable networks to dip across the board, according to Nielsen figures.
Fox News had fallen from first to third among basic cable networks in total primetime viewers. On the week beginning April 22, Fox News drew an average of 1.930 million total viewers. This represented a decline of 3 percent in total viewers from the week prior.
But the network remained number one in total viewers. The network's total day viewership averaged 1.271 million in total viewers, representing a week-on-week fall of 2 percent.
When contacted by Newsweek, a representative of Fox News shared Nielsen figures showing that viewership numbers had either been retained or built upon from previous weeks in the same period during its daytime programming.
The first day of Trump's trial began on April 22, the week after jury selection concluded.
Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC are among those covering Trump's hush money trial, which is now in its fourth week. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the run up to the 2016 election to keep secret an alleged affair she had with the former president. Trump denies an affair and claims the trial is part of a political witch hunt aimed at derailing his bid for another term in the White House.
MSNBC and CNN Ratings
In comparison to Fox News' performance in the week beginning April 29, rival network MSNBC averaged 1.195 million total viewers, representing a fall of 17 percent from the previous week. Total day viewing figures for the network averaged 836,000. This represented another double-digit drop of 15 percent on the previous week.
These numbers kept MSNBC's cable network ranking in total primetime viewers in fourth place, while its total day figures put it in second place in total viewers.
During the week beginning April 22, MSNBC averaged 1.438 million total viewers in primetime, representing a 6 percent jump on the previous week, retaining its fourth-place.
The network's total day figures during that week averaged 980,000 total viewers, a 5 percent increase on the previous week and placed it second in total viewers.
CNN, meanwhile, also experienced a double-digit dip in the week beginning April 29. The network's primetime numbers averaged 594,000 in total viewers, representing a decline of 23 percent on the previous week. Things were barely better in the total day viewings category: 492,000 total viewers tuned in, representing a drop of 15 percent.
The network rounded out the week with a four-place fall to land in ninth position with total viewers, while total day numbers helped the network hang onto fifth place.
During the week beginning April 22 when the trial began, CNN primetime programming averaged 772,000 total viewers, representing a week-on-week gain of 30 percent and a climb from eighth to fifth place in primetime. Its total day viewer numbers during that week sat at 582,000, representing a drop from fourth to fifth place.
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Fox News, MSNBC and CNN via email for comment.
Fox News Changes
April 24 marked one year since Tucker Carlson was abruptly dropped by Fox News. Carlson's exit ended his six-year reign as Fox News' ratings juggernaut; he was elevated to primetime in 2017 following the inauguration of Trump.
His ousting led to Fox News losing half the timeslot's viewers as ratings plunged from more than 3 million to an audience of as low as 1.3 million the following week. Carlson had previously been feted by the station, and his primetime show became the highest-rated cable news program in the key demographic of those aged 25 to 54.
Citing Nielsen ratings figures, a representative of Fox News told Newsweek that audience numbers have bounced back since Jesse Watters stepped in to fill the slot Carlson vacated, averaging 3 million viewers year to date.
Like Carlson before him, Watters has been supportive of Trump on the air as his legal tribulations continue.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
