- During primetime, Fox News was down -3% in total viewers and -22% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network was down -9% in total viewers and -31% in the demo—the only network with year to year losses within this comparison.
- MS NOW was up +27% in total viewers and +19% in the demo. During total day, the network was up +21% in total viewers and +19% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN grew by +69% in total viewers and +64% in the demo. During total day, it rose by +27% in total viewers and +22% 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 leading the way with 3.262 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by The Rachel Maddow Show, airing Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET, with 1.868 million total viewers at No. 7, and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, airing weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, with 1.235 million total viewers at No. 14.
The Five was No. 1 in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 295,000 viewers. Fox News held 12 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, airing five nights a week at 10 p.m. ET, finishing with 171,000 viewers for the No. 6 position, and The Source with Kaitlan Collins, airing weeknights at 9 p.m. ET, with 123,000 demo viewers in ninth place. The Rachel Maddow Show represented for MS NOW, coming in 15th place with 114,000 demo viewers.
August 24, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 2,027,000 | 937,000 | 611,000 |
| • A25-54: | 169,000 | 80,000 | 113,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,257,000 | 596,000 | 400,000 |
| • A25-54: | 104,000 | 56,000 | 61,000 |
