- During primetime, Fox News was down by -21% in total viewers and -38% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network saw decreases of -18% in total viewers and -39% in the demo – it was the only network with declines within this yearly comparison.
- MS NOW was flat in total viewers and up +20% in the demo. During total day, the network was also up +9% in total viewers and +26% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN grew by +41% in total viewers and +27% in the demo. During total day, it rose by +24% in total viewers and +14% 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 3.738 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 landed in seventh place with 2.208 million total viewers. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, airing weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, took the No. 15 position with 1.393 million total viewers.
Gutfeld!, which airs weeknights at 10 p.m. ET on Fox News, was the most-watched program in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 328,000 viewers. Fox News held 13 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show, airing only on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET, finishing in seventh place with 235,000 demo viewers. CNN had one show in the chart, CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, weekdays at 10 p.m. ET, with 153,000 demo viewers at No. 15.
February 16, 2026
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 2,483,000 | 1,084,000 | 749,000 |
| • A25-54: | 235,000 | 112,000 | 140,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,629,000 | 668,000 | 519,000 |
| • A25-54: | 149,000 | 72,000 | 82,000 |
