Cable-news ratings from the week of July 31 are in, and one channel has cause for celebration.
Another may have reason for concern, as its prime-time shows continue to flag amid a brand-identity crisis.
DON'T MISS: A Tiny Premium News Channel Just Trounced CNN in Key Prime-Time Slot
Ratings are reported weekly to measure the success and movement of the prime-time basic-cable-TV slots, known commonly as the Basic Cable Ranker. The past week's performance ranks the week of Monday, July 31.
In the rankings three main channels are a part of the race: CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. Competition among the three has been fierce as the 2024 presidential race takes shape, as former President Donald Trump was arraigned last Thursday in Washington, and hosts and show slots shuffle amid some big name departures.
It's been a bit of a struggle for CNN, which saw longtime head Jeff Zucker depart in early 2022, followed by the ascent and departure of new boss Chris Licht after a tumultuous year in charge.
One issue CNN is working on is its identity: Licht had come in with the intention of moving the station closer to the center from its position as a liberal counterpoint to Fox News.
MSNBC and Fox News have similarly grappled with coming and goings regarding its star hosts; MSNBC's Rachel Maddow has been flirting with the idea of leaving for over a year now, and Fox's Tucker Carlson left in April 2023.
But some channels appear to be weathering change more effectively than others.
One cable-news channel wins big
One cable news channel dominated last week's ratings, coming in first in more than half the slots.
Here's the breakdown for the week of July 31:
- Fox News: 1.87 million average prime-time viewers
- MSNBC: 1.56 million average prime-time viewers
- CNN: 710,000 average prime-time viewers
In the key demographic, also called the key advertising demographic (which is typically categorized as adults aged 25-54), Fox continued to win out.
- Fox News: 199,000 average prime-time viewers
- MSNBC: 170,000 average prime-time viewers
- CNN: 136,000 average prime-time viewers
Here's the average breakdown by show for the week of July 31:
- Fox News "The Five": 2.81 million
- Fox News "Jesse Watters Primetime": 2.43 million
- Fox News "Hannity": 2.31 million
- Fox News "The Ingraham Angle": 2.02 million
- MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell": 2 million
- Fox News "Gutfeld!": 1.96 million
- Fox News "Special Report with Bret Baier": 1.96 million
- MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber": 1.875 million
- MSNBC "Alex Wagner Tonight": 1.85 million
- MSNBC "Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace": 1.79 million
Fox held the top three spots in the key demo, too, with "The Five," "Gutfeld!" and "Hannity" coming in as the most watched among adults aged 25-54.
Get exclusive access to portfolio managers and their proven investing strategies with Real Money Pro. Get started now.
