Overview
- Nielsen estimates for the second quarter of 2026 put Fox News at roughly 2.49–2.5 million average primetime viewers, making it the top-rated cable news network for the period.
- In June 2026 Fox averaged about 2.63 million weekday primetime viewers, a figure that exceeded NBC’s and CBS’s monthly primetime averages.
- A small group of Fox shows concentrated the audience, with The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime, Gutfeld!, Hannity, and Special Report ranking as the quarter’s highest-rated programs.
- Fox led the key adults 25–54 demo in Q2 primetime with roughly 230,000 viewers, but that demo was down significantly year over year while CNN and MS NOW posted demo and total-viewer gains in several measures.
- The numbers preserve Fox’s structural dominance but raise questions for advertisers and rivals about revenue and programming strategies, so watch next quarter’s demo trends and how networks shift lineups in response.