Fox News remains the most-watched US cable news network, but its September and third-quarter 2026 numbers reveal a split between total audience and the 25-54 demo that advertisers watch most closely. The network still dwarfs rivals in overall viewers, while MS NOW and CNN are growing in the segment that drives news ad value.
September: total viewers vs. the demo
In September primetime, Fox News averaged 1.72 million viewers, down 32% from September 2025. MS NOW followed with 839,000, up 3.6%, and CNN drew 539,000, down 0.7%. Total day tracked the same order: Fox News at 1.11 million (down 31.1%), MS NOW at 544,000 (up 6.7%) and CNN at 373,000 (down 7%).
The 25-54 demo complicates that picture. In September primetime, Fox News posted 156,000 demo viewers, down 44.3% year-on-year. CNN had 90,000, up 3.4%, and MS NOW had 79,000, up 16.2%. In total day demo, MS NOW rose 15.6% to 52,000, while CNN slipped 14.5% to 53,000 and Fox News fell 40.8% to 106,000.
Third quarter: the trend widens
For Q3, Fox News averaged 2.06 million primetime viewers, down 17% from a year earlier. MS NOW climbed 16% to 930,000 and CNN rose 12.8% to 607,000. In total day, Fox News was down 15.8% to 1.32 million, while MS NOW grew 20.3% to 592,000 and CNN rose 7.6% to 426,000.
In the primetime 25-54 demo, Fox News fell 24.7% to 183,000; CNN grew 16.1% to 101,000; and MS NOW increased 27.3% to 84,000. Total-day demo delivery was flat for CNN at 61,000 and up 36.6% for MS NOW at 56,000, while Fox News declined 24.5% to 120,000.
Show rankings still favour Fox
Fox News owns the top of the schedule. The Five led September with 2.79 million total viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime at 2.4 million, Gutfeld! at 2.12 million, Hannity at 2.06 million and Special Report with Bret Baier at 2.04 million. In the 25-54 demo, The Five also led with 273,000, but MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show reached the top five at 186,000.
Elsewhere, MS NOW’s top show was The Rachel Maddow Show at 1.79 million viewers. CNN’s NewsNight averaged 610,000, NewsNation’s Cuomo drew 167,000, and Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight averaged 305,000.
- Fox News: commanding total share, but steep year-on-year declines.
- MS NOW: the clearest growth story, particularly in the demo.
- CNN: a mixed month but a stronger quarter, and second in the primetime demo.
- NewsNation and Newsmax: still niche, with Q3 primetime demo audiences of 13,000 and 9,000 respectively.
What it means for planners
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the data is a reminder to separate reach from advertising value. Cable news is bought heavily on adults 25-54, and that is where Fox’s advantage is softening. The network still can claim scale: it said it was on track to have its highest rated midterm year ever, while MS NOW touted double-digit viewership increases.
The practical takeaway is to watch demo delivery per network rather than total-viewer headlines, and to treat monthly declines cautiously because the prior-year comparison may be elevated.
Source: Deadline
