This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of March 30, 2026.
A week that featured two major news events on the same day, live coverage of the launch of the Artemis II mission to the moon, and President Donald Trump’s primetime address to the nation, was enough to give the cable news networks a positive return in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during primetime and total day.
Fox News was the most-watched cable network during Wednesday’s Artemis coverage in both measured categories and was also the most-watched network in total viewers during Trump’s address.
Artemis II coverage (6-7 p.m. ET)
Fox News: 4 million total viewers/493,000 Adults 25-54
MS NOW: 1.406 million total viewers/172,000 Adults 25-54
CNN: 2.229 million total viewers/485,000 Adults 25-54
President Trump’s Address (9-9:30 p.m. ET)
Fox News: 6.654 million total viewers/1.002 million Adults 25-54
MS NOW: 1.910 million total viewers/265,000 Adults 25-54
CNN: 1.676 million total viewers/339,000 Adults 25-54
NETWORKS:
According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of March 30, Fox News averaged 2.763 million total viewers and 300,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up +4% in total viewers and +16% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning March 23).
During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.726 million total viewers and 179,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, the network was up by +1% in total viewers and +6% in the demo.
Fox News ranked first in total primetime viewership and dropped from third to fourth in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. In total day, it finished in first place in total viewers and remained in the No. 3 position in the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 1.26 million primetime total viewers and 132,000 viewers in the primetime A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. It was 3,000 demo viewers short of tying with CNN for second place. The network was up +8% in total viewers and +31% in the demo compared to its primetime average the week prior.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 752,000 total viewers and 82,000 demo viewers. It grew by +6% in total viewers and +17% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior—it was the only network with double-digit growth during the daypart.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW slid from third to fourth in total primetime viewers and jumped from 17th to eighth in the demo. It remained in second place in total viewers and moved from No. 9 to No. 7 in the total day demo.
