- During primetime, Fox News was up by +1% in total viewers but down by -13% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network posted losses of -1% in total viewers and -22% in the demo—the only network with declines within this yearly comparison.
- MS NOW was up by +9% in total viewers and +18% in the demo. During total day, the network was up +7% in total viewers and +19% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN grew by +50% in total viewers and the demo. During total day, it rose by +29% in total viewers and +25% in the demo.
PROGRAMMING:
Fox News had 13 out of the 15 spots of the most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five on top with 3.663 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by The Rachel Maddow Show, airing only on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET, which ranked eighth with 2.094 million total viewers.
The Five also finished No. 1 in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 318,000 viewers. Fox News held 13 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show landing in fourth place with 234,000 demo viewers. CNN was represented in the chart by CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which airs weeknights at 10 p.m. ET with 137,000 demo viewers, placing it in 15th.
May 4, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 2,469,000 | 972,000 | 683,000 |
| • A25-54: | 222,000 | 91,000 | 126,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,570,000 | 606,000 | 484,000 |
| • A25-54: | 147,000 | 62,000 | 80,000 |
