This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of May 18, 2026.
With the approaching Memorial Day holiday weekend, the cable news networks delivered a variety of results during primetime and total day.
All three recorded week-to-week gains in either total viewers or the Adults 25-54 demo during primetime, while Fox News was the only network to grow in either category during the total day.
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According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of May 18, Fox News averaged 2.260 million total viewers and 207,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was down -1% in total viewers but grew by +2% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning May 11).
During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.501 million total viewers and 138,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, the network saw gains of +2% in total viewers but registered a -3% decline in the demo.
Fox News slipped to second in total primetime viewership and remained third in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. During total day, it finished first in total viewers and was No. 2 in the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 918,000 total viewers and 81,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. The network was up +2% in total viewers but was down -7% in the demo compared to its primetime average the week prior.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 578,000 total viewers and 56,000 demo viewers. It was down -1% in total viewers and -10% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW remained third in total primetime viewers and dropped to 17th in the demo. It finished in third place in total viewers and slipped to 11th from ninth in the total day demo.
CNN averaged 598,000 total primetime viewers and 108,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for the week of May 18. The network declined by -10% in total viewers but increased its viewership by +4% in the demo compared to the previous week.
During total day, the network had 439,000 total viewers and 67,000 viewers in the demo. CNN declined by -2% in total viewers and -3% in the demo during this daypart.
Among all cable networks, CNN remained in fifth in total viewers and 10th in the demo during primetime. It was No. 4 in total day among total viewers and slipped from seventh to eighth in the demo.
When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago:
