Fox News tops cable news ratings

Momentum slows after viewership reaches new highs

Cable- news networks basked in a record- setting year for viewership spurred on by a tumultuous election, but the momentum has begun to subside.

With Fox News Channel leading the way, prime- time ratings jumped sharply for all networks between January 2016 to the run- up to President Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20. When compared with ratings from September to November, each network saw declines.

Fox News Channel attracted an average of 2.844 million viewers in January during prime time ( 8- 11 p. m. ET) — an increase of 35% over Jan. 2016 but a 2% decline from Sept.Nov. 2016, according to Nielsen.

CNN had 1.164 million prime- time viewers in January — up 38% over last year, but down 22% compared to Sept.Nov. 2016. MSNBC’s primetime January viewership of 1.160 million was up 53% over last year but down 18% from Sept.- Nov. 2016.

Among the three networks, Fox News has retained the most of its pre- election viewership growth. When looking at fullday viewership, which reflects regular news coverage beyond opinion or talk, Fox’s ratings rose 12% in January compared to Sept.- Nov. 2016. CNN and MSNBC’s full- day declines were less than in prime time ( 13% and 16%, respectively).

Fox News hit a milestone, too, marking 15 consecutive years as the most- watched news channel, having surpassed CNN in January 2002.