- During primetime, Fox News was down -17% in total viewers and -29% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network was down -16% in total viewers and -34% in the demo.
- MS NOW was up +6% in total viewers but down -15% in the demo. During total day, the network was up +12% in total viewers and +7% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN grew by +32% in total viewers and +42% in the demo. During total day, it rose by +18% in total viewers and +13% in the demo.
PROGRAMMING:
Fox News had 14 out of the 15 spots of the most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five leading the way with 3.184 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, airing weeknights at 9 p.m. ET, with 1.144 million total viewers at No. 14.
The Five was No. 1 in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 168,000 viewers. Fox News held 13 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, airing five days a week at 10 p.m. ET, finishing with 93,000 viewers to take the No. 10 position, and Anderson Cooper 360, airing weeknights at 8 p.m. ET, with 75,000 demo viewers in 15th place.
August 17, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 2,009,000 | 851,000 | 584,000 |
| • A25-54: | 178,000 | 66,000 | 105,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,287,000 | 572,000 | 405,000 |
| • A25-54: | 113,000 | 48,000 | 60,000 |
