This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of July 27, 2026.
It was a mixed bag for all three cable networks as they all recorded positive movement in different demos and dayparts for the just-concluded week. Fox News finished the week in the plus column in total viewers during primetime and total day. MS NOW saw growth in total viewers and the demo during primetime and was up double digits in the demo during total day. As for CNN, it reported week-to-week gains in the prized demo during primetime and total day to close out the month of July.
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According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of July 27, Fox News averaged 2.323 million total viewers and 193,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up +2% in total viewers but down -4% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning July 20).
During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.472 million total viewers and 123,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, the network grew by +3% in total viewers but fell by -5% in the demo.
Fox News continued to rank first in total primetime viewership and was in second place in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. During total day, it also finished first in total viewers and in the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 994,000 total viewers and 87,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. The network saw gains of +3% in total viewers and +9% in the demo compared to its primetime average the week prior.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 615,000 total viewers and 61,000 demo viewers. It was down -2% in total viewers but recorded double-digit growth of +20% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW was second in total primetime viewers and finished 17th, tied with FXX, in the demo. It was also second in total viewers and 10th in the total day demo.
CNN averaged 636,00 total primetime viewers and 101,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for the week of July 27. The network was down -5% in total viewers but finished up +6% in the demo compared to the previous week.
During total day, the network had 463,000 total viewers and 68,000 viewers in the demo. CNN had a -1% drop in total viewers but grew by +8% in the demo during this daypart.
Among all cable networks, CNN slid from fourth to fifth in total viewers and finished in 14th place in the demo during primetime. It was No. 3 in total day among total viewers and No. 6 in the demo.
When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago:
