The return of Hulu’s animated series Solar Opposites and Peacock’s comedy series Killing It highlight this week’s list of original show premieres.

Season four of Hulu’s animated science-fiction series debuts August 14 and continues to follow the exploits of a family of aliens shipwrecked on Earth. Dan Stevens joins the cast for season four of Solar Opposites, which also includes Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giamborne, and Mary Mack. 

Peacock’s Killing It premieres its second season on August 17, with Craig Robinson returning to star as a rags-to-riches snake hunter along with Claudia O’Doherty and Rell Battle.

Here are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting during the week of August 14-20. For some videos, viewer discretion is advised.

August 14, 90 Day: Last Resort (reality series), TLC

August 16, Depp v. Heard (documentary series), Netflix

August 16, Miguel Wants to Fight (comedy movie), Hulu

August 18, Time of Essence (documentary series), OWN

August 18, Harlan Coben’s Shelter (drama), Prime video

August 18, The Monkey King (Animated movie), Netflix

August 18, The Winter King (drama), MGM Plus

three Fox News extended its hot summer ratings performance into August with a sweep of both the primetime and total day charts. 

Fox News averaged 1.8 million viewers in primetime during the week of July 31 to August 6 to top all cable networks for the sixth straight week, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. MSNBC finished second with 1.5 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 768,000 viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 724,000 watchers.

INSP was the fifth most-watched network for the week with 719,000 viewers, followed by CNN (710,000 viewers), History (676,000), USA Network (651,000), TLC (627,000) and Food Network (528,000).

The August 5 arraignment of Donald Trump in Washington D.C. federal court helped three cable news networks top the total day charts last week. Fox News led all networks with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 966,000 viewers and CNN with 547,000 watchers. HGTV (427,000 viewers) and Hallmark Channel (426,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks on a 24-hour basis, according to Nielsen.  

Fox News Channel’s new primetime programming lineup helped the network remain at the top of both the cable primetime and total day charts last week.

Fox News averaged 1.8 million viewers in primetime during the week of July 17 to July 23 to top all cable networks for the fourth consecutive week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The network was led by the July 17 launch of its revamped 8 pm to 11 pm lineup, featuring shows  Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, and Gutfeld!. Adding in its 7 p.m. series The Ingraham Angle and its 11 p.m. show Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher, Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for its 7 pm to 11 p.m. lineup, besting competing cable networks CNN and MSNBC in total viewers.

MSNBC finished second in primetime with 1.2 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 739,000 viewers, INSP with 711,000 viewers, and HGTV with 671,000 watchers.

Rounding out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime were History (660,000 viewers), TLC (631,000), USA Network (608,000), Discovery Channel (567,000), and TBS (553,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News extended its winning streak to 29 weeks with an average of 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC was a distant second with 779,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (475,000), USA Network (441,000), and CNN (426,000). 

Fox News held off ESPN to win its third straight weekly primetime cable ratings crown. 

Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers during the week of July 10 to July 16 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen ratings supplied by Fox News. ESPN, bolstered by its July 10 MLB Home Run Derby coverage, finished second with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million watchers.

INSP was fourth for the week with 788,000 viewers, while Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 724,000 viewers. HGTV (710,000 viewers), History (704,000), TLC (674,000), Discovery Channel (643,000), and USA Network (632,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched cable networks in primetime.

Fox News increased its winning streak on the total day chart to 28 weeks, averaging 1 million viewers to top MSNBC (730,000), ESPN (630,000), Hallmark Channel (442,000) and CNN (411,000), according to Nielsen.

TLC in August will debut the latest spinoff from its 90 Day Fiancé reality series franchise, 90 Day: The Last Resort.

The series will follow five couples from 90 Day Fiancé who will travel to a couples retreat in a final attempt to salvage their relationships, according to TLC. The couples will actively navigate issues with trust, sex, jealousy, anger, and intimacy. At the end of the retreat, each couple must decide if they will stay together or move on separately, said the network. 

Also: From 'MILF Manor' to '90 Day Fiancé,' It's All Reality for TLC

In addition to the series, TLC will launch a weekly companion podcast called 90 Day: The Last Resort Sessions that will feature therapists who will break down relationship issues and discuss big moments in each episode. 

90 Day: The Last Resort joins prior 90 Day Fiancé spinoffs including 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, 90 Day: Single Life and 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. 

Lifetime and A&E will chronicle the career of 1990’s top-selling female R&B trio TLC in a new documentary airing June 3.

Lifetime and A&E will simulcast the premiere of the two-hour documentary, TLC Forever, which looks at the lives and careers of the Atlanta-based group’s members, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes as they broke boundaries, influenced an entire generation and survived against all odds, according to network officials.

Surviving group members Watkins and Thomas will discuss the group’s journey along with other music industry colleagues. TLC sold more than 85 million records worldwide and won more than 35 major awards including four Grammy Awards, according to the network.

The TLC Forever documentary is the latest music project for Lifetime, which last month announced a Janet Jackson: Family First documentary following the Grammy-winning singer debuting later this year.

Fresh off its third straight year as cable’s highest-rated entertainment network without sports in primetime among adult women, TLC will open the first quarter of 2023 with more than 155 hours of new programming targeted to its core female demo.

New shows include the January 15 premiere of MILF Manor, which follows the love lives of women in their 40s, 50s and 60s, as well as returning shows such as 1000-Lb. Sisters, I Am Jazz and Say Yes to the Dress.

Discovery Networks & TLC president Howard Lee spoke with Multichannel News about the ratings success of the Warner Bros. Discovery owned-network, as well as its continued appeal to female viewers. Lee, who recently added oversight of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel to his duties, also talked about the future of reality television in this interview, an edited version of which appears below.

MCN: Why has TLC continued to remain successful and relevant in an ever-changing cable television marketplace?

Howard Lee: I think that who you see on the TLC brand is who you see in America. The magic of TLC is that the stories that we witness on our air are parallel to our own lives. It’s as if these folks on the screen become part of us, and we don’t take that lightly. When we decide to bring back a show over one or over many seasons, we really nourish it and make sure that there’s something to tell. If there isn’t, we don’t do it. We want to stay as real as we can about what is going on in that person’s life, and the fact that they decided to be very candid and honest and share that story with everybody at home is crucial to the overall success of the show. I think that’s the most important part of what makes a lot of our programming successful. Everybody on our air has a story that they want to confide to our viewers and they don’t shy away from letting us know their journeys, and it’s really amazing. 

MCN: TLC has a significant amount of original content launching in the first quarter, a time when many networks are cutting back on both scripted and reality programming. How are you able to sustain such rapid delivery of original content? 

HL: Well, it’s never easy. Anybody who makes any nonfiction programming knows that it takes a long lead time to create a show, then it takes quite a while to have it come back on air for new seasons. We really take pride in the fact that we’re telling the proper story and that it’s honest. I do believe that because so much of our programming is serialized, continuous and not self-contained, it hooks people in from week to week and they have to come back until we get to the finales of all of our programs. Even after a season’s over, they always ask when the show is coming back. Our viewers are truly the ones who dictate everything. 

MCN: You’ve been successful in spinning off franchises like 90 Day Fiancé. How do you know when a show has spinoff potential? 

HL: Well, we would never spin off a show unless there was a clamor for more of that show’s story. The obvious example of that is the tried and true 90 Day Fiancé, which started 10 years ago. We are very careful about monitoring the appetite for the franchise and making sure we're doing the proper spinoffs. We are also very careful about ensuring that we protect this franchise and not just doing it for the sake of doing it. It's important that we have a story always at the end of the day to tell — if there’s not a story to tell, then we wouldn’t do it. 

MCN: What are some of the new shows coming down the pike for TLC in the first quarter? 

HL: We recently announced MILF Manor that we’re having a lot of fun with. The show continues to evolve what we develop in the love and relationship space. We know that older women can fall in love age-wise with anybody they choose to, even if [their partners] are younger. Love, I think, is a very enduring storyline that crosses cultures and customs and never gets old. That’s the reason why so many people try to tap into that genre and that space, but I'm really excited about it at TLC because I feel like we are going at it a different way. We also have a spinoff of Sister Wives called Seeking Brother Husband.

MCN: How do you see the reality marketplace evolving, particularly as more streaming services are getting into the business?

HL: There is a lot out there in the nonfiction world to choose from. We often ask ourselves, how do we cut through the clutter and make sure that we make, produce and create content that is impactful and memorable? I think that content has to have a clear premise. Once we do that, it’s amazing how many riveting storylines and hooks you can find that continuously make you want to watch the drama, the relationships and the storytelling. Sometimes we don't know if it'll work or not, but we've been very fortunate that a lot of it does. ■ 

ESPN barely fought off Fox News for top honors in primetime as the pro and college football season comes to a close.

ESPN averaged 2.7 million viewers in primetime during the week of January 2 to January 8, topping Fox News’ 2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. ESPN was led by the 9.1 million viewers that tuned into its January 2 Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals Monday Night Football telecast, a game that ended in the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.3 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 982,000 and CNN at 918,000 watchers. 

HGTV finished sixth with 826,000 viewers, followed by History (763,000 viewers), TBS (727,000), TLC (677,000) and INSP (676,000).

Fox News regained the top spot in total day -- a week after having its 51-week winning streak broken by ESPN -- with an average of 1.4 million viewers. ESPN (1.1 million viewers), MSNBC (950,000), CNN (740,000) and Hallmark Channel (505,000) followed close behind, reported Nielsen. ■

ESPN kicked off 2023 in grand style, topping both the primetime and the total-day charts.

The sports network, led by its New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff semifinals doubleheader coverage, averaged 7.7 million viewers in primetime during the week of December 26 to January 1, according to Nielsen. ESPN’s December 31 Georgia-Ohio State Peach Bowl telecast drew more than 22 million viewers, while its TCU-Michigan Fiesta Bowl telecast averaged more than 21 million viewers, said Nielsen.

Fox News Channel finished second in primetime with 1.3 million viewers, followed by Paramount Network’s 1.1 million viewers, Hallmark Channel’s 1 million viewers and HGTV’s 832,000 watchers.

MSNBC was sixth with 831,000 viewers, followed by TBS and TLC (tied with 737,000 viewers), INSP (696,000) and CNN (688,000).

ESPN averaged 2.9 million viewers on a total day basis to top all networks, ending Fox News’s winning streak at 51 weeks. The news network finished second with 1 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (662,000 viewers), MSNBC (632,000) and CNN (558,000), Nielsen reported. ■

NFL football telecasts helped land both ESPN and the NFL Network among the top three most watched cable networks in primetime last week.

ESPN averaged 2 million viewers in primetime during the week of December 12 to December 18 to top all networks, according to Nielsen. The network was fueled by the 10 million viewers who tuned into its December 12 New England Patriots-Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football telecast.

NFL Network, which offered three NFL games on December 17 — including a primetime matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills that drew more than 11 million viewers — finished third for the week with an average of 1.7 million viewers. 

Fox News, which tied ESPN for first place last week, finished in second place with 1.9 million viewers, with Hallmark Channel pulling into fourth place with 1.1 million viewers and MSNBC finishing fifth with 1 million watchers.

Paramount Network was sixth with 963,000 viewers, followed by TLC (876,000 viewers), History (738,000), HGTV (729,000), and Food Network (672,000).

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 50th consecutive week with an average of 1.3 million viewers, easily beating ESPN (800,000 viewers), NFL Network (752,000), Hallmark Channel (715,000), and MSNBC (700,000), according to Nielsen.■  

TLC in January will debut a new dating series featuring single women in their 40s, 50s and 60s looking for love.

The series, MILF Manor, debuts January 15 and will follow eight confident and strong-minded women who travel to a paradise manor in Mexico for the chance at lasting romance.

According to TLC, tensions run high when the eight women and eight young hunks come together. Each episode features challenges that will prove whether a connection is genuine or if it's time to leave the manor. Chemistry, jealousy, and drama keep the manor steamy, according to the network.

MILF Manor is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Spun Gold. Discovery Plus will provide same day streaming of each premiere episode, according to the network. ■

Fox News and ESPN tied for first on last week’s primetime chart during the first full week of December.

Fox News and ESPN each averaged 2.1 million viewers during the week of December 5 to December 11, according to Nielsen. ESPN was paced by its December 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New Orleans Saints Monday Night Football telecast, which averaged more than 11 million viewers, while Fox News benefited from its coverage of the December 6 Georgia Senate runoff election.

MSNBC finished in third place with 1.4 million viewers, while Hallmark Channel pulled into fourth with 1.3 million viewers and Paramount Network finished fifth with 866,000 viewers. 

HGTV was sixth with 750,000 viewers, followed by History (739,000), TLC (738,000), CNN (701,000) and INSP (671,000), said the network. 

Fox News easily topped the total day charts with 1.4 million viewers for its 49th straight weekly win. MSNBC (842,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (746,000), ESPN (712,000) and CNN (551,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks on a 24-hour basis, reported Nielsen. ■  

Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas original holiday movies lineup delivered a big primetime ratings performance for the network during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Hallmark Channel averaged 1.7 million viewers in primetime on the strength of seven holiday film premieres during the week of November 21 to November 27, finishing only behind ESPN’s 3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The sports network notched its second-straight primetime win behind its Monday Night Football and college football game telecasts.

Also: Hallmark Channel's ‘Three Wise Men and a Baby’ Holiday Movie Delivers Ratings Gift

Fox News finished third for the week with 1.6 million viewers, followed by Paramount Network, which averaged 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC pulled into the fifth spot with 791,000 viewers, followed by HGTV’s 702,000 watchers.

TLC finished seventh with 699,000 viewers, followed by Food Network (695,000 viewers), History (658,000) and INSP (657,000).

Fox News held on to the top spot on the total day chart for the 47th consecutive week with an average of 1.2 million viewers, followed by ESPN (1 million viewers), Hallmark Channel (878,000), World Cup-infused FS1 (589,000) and MSNBC (556,000), according to Nielsen. ■

With the Midterm elections now over, ESPN has replaced Fox News at the top of the primetime charts.  

The sports network averaged 3.5 million viewers in primetime during the week of November 11 to November 20 for its third win in the last four weeks, according to Nielsen. Fox News finished in second place with 2.3 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel and MSNBC, which tied for third at 1.3 million viewers. CNN and Paramount Network tied for fifth with 877,000 watchers.

History (790,000 viewers), TLC (750,000), TBS (730,000) and Food Network (692,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched shows in primetime.

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 46th consecutive week with 1.5 million viewers, followed by ESPN (1 million viewers), MSNBC (818,000), Hallmark Channel (747,000) and CNN (625,000), according to Nielsen.■  

The midterm elections proved to be a ratings boondoggle for Fox News, which swept both the primetime and total day charts last week.

Fox News averaged 3.2 million viewers for the week of November 7 to November 13, stopping ESPN’s two-week winning streak, according to Nielsen. Fox News drew the most viewers across 13 networks providing election day coverage on November 8, drawing 7.4 million total viewers in primetime, reported Nielsen.

ESPN finished second for the week with 2.2 million views, followed by MSNBC with 1.7 million viewers.

Paramount Network -- bolstered by the more than 8 million viewers who tuned into the November 13 fifth season debut of its original drama series Yellowstone -- finished fourth for the week with 1.4 million viewers, while Hallmark Channel rode its holiday-themed programming to a fifth place tie with CNN with 1.2 million watchers.

Also: 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Has Year's Biggest Scripted Premiere with 12.1 Million L+SD Viewers

HGTV finished seventh with 737,000 viewers, followed by TLC (713,000 viewers), Food Network (681,000) and TBS (661,000).

Fox News extended its total day streak to 45 weeks with an average of 1.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (986,000 viewers), ESPN (818,000) CNN (767,000) and Hallmark Channel (670,000), said Nielsen.■  

ESPN rolled to its second-straight weekly primetime ratings win and Fox News Channel continued its dominance of the total-day charts during the first week of November.

ESPN averaged 3.1 million viewers in primetime during the week of October 31 to November 6, according to Nielsen. The sports network was bolstered in part by its November 5 Alabama-LSU college football telecast, which averaged 7.6 million viewers, the network's most-watched regular season game since 2016.

Fox News finished second with 2.4 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 1.1 million viewers and MSNBC with 1 million viewers. TLC finished fifth with 755,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (719,000), TBS (619,000), INSP (605,000), Food Network (566,000), and USA Network (557,000).

On the total-day front, Fox News averaged 1.6 million viewers for its 44th consecutive win, followed by ESPN (966,000), MSNBC (676,000), Hallmark Channel (665,000) and CNN (431,000), Nielsen said. ■  

Cable networks airing live sports programming scored big ratings returns last week, led by baseball playoffs-infused TBS.

TBS, bolstered by its coverage of Major League Baseball’s American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, averaged 2.9 million viewers during the week of October 17 to October 23 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen. ESPN, which continued to draw big audiences to Monday Night Football, finished second for the week with 2.7 million viewers.

FS1, which aired the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, pulled into fourth place in primetime with 1.6 million viewers, and in sixth place on the total day chart with 484,000 viewers.

Fox News finished third in primetime for the week with 2.3 million viewers, while MSNBC rounded out the top five most watched networks with 1.1 million viewers.

TNT was sixth with 1 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (982,000 viewers), HGTV (833,000), TLC (741,000) and INSP (635,000).

Fox News Channel remained atop the total-day charts for the 42nd week, fighting off challengers TBS (892,000 viewers), ESPN (888,000), MSNBC (719,000) and Hallmark Channel (549,000), Nielsen reported. ■  

Live sports programming continued to propel cable network ratings in primetime as ESPN and TBS topped last week's ratings chart.

ESPN — bolstered by its Monday Night Football and weekend college football telecasts — won its second-straight primetime weekly title, averaging 3 million viewers during the week of October 10-16, according to Nielsen. Coverage of Major League Baseball’s postseason American League Division Series helped TBS finish second in primetime with 2.4 million viewers, while the two National League Division Series led FS1 to a fourth-place finish with 1.3 million viewers.

Cable news networks Fox News Channel (2.1 million viewers) and MSNBC (1.3 million) took third and fifth place, respectively.

HGTV finished sixth with 808,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (780,000 viewers), TLC (673,000), TNT (656,000) and CNN (649,000).

Fox News (1.4 million viewers) held off a strong charge from ESPN (896,000) and TBS (848,000) to top the total day chart for the 41st consecutive week. MSNBC (843,000) and FS1 (562,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks in the category for the week, according to Nielsen. ■ 

ESPN and Fox News battled to a weekly cable primetime tie during the last week in September.

ESPN, helped by the more than 7 million viewers who tuned into its Sept. 26 Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants Monday Night Football game, and Fox News – buoyed by its coverage of powerful Hurricane Ian’s landfall early last week in Florida – each averaged 2.1 million viewers during the week of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, according to Nielsen.

MSNBC pulled into third place with 1.1 million viewers followed by HGTV’s 809,000 viewers, CNN’s 770,000 viewers and TLC’s 748,000 watchers. Hurricane Ian coverage also bolstered The Weather Channel, which finished seventh with 700,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (698,000), INSP (664,000) and TBS (580,000), said network officials.

Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers on a 24-hour basis to top all cable networks for the 39th straight week, followed by ESPN (815,000 viewers), MSNBC (779,000) CNN (670,000) and The Weather Channel (662,000), said Nielsen. ■  

Fox News Channel upended football-fueled ESPN to finish first in primetime last week as the fall television season begins to ramp up. 

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime during the week of September 19-25 to top all cable networks and end ESPN’s three-week winning streak, according to Nielsen. The sports network finished second with an average of 2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.2 million viewers. HGTV was fourth with 821,000 viewers and USA Network finished fifth with 707,000 watchers.

Rounding out the top 10 list of most watched cable networks in primetime were INSP (683,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (680,000), CNN (674,000), TLC (643,000) and Food Network (622,000).

Fox News continued its dominance of the total-day charts by finishing first for the 38th straight week, followed by MSNBC (844,000 viewers), ESPN (773,000), CNN (603,000) and HGTV (449,000), according to Nielsen. ■

ESPN’s season debut of Monday Night Football last week helped the sports network secure its third straight primetime ratings win.

The sports network averaged 2.3 million viewers in primetime during the week of September 12 to September 18, besting Fox News, which averaged 2.2 million watchters, according to Nielsen. ESPN’s ratings were bolstered by the Sept. 12 Seattle Seahawks-Denver Broncos NFL telecast, which averaged 17.3 million viewers combined across ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Plus and ESPN2. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.2 million viewers, followed by HGTV with 893,000 viewers and USA Network with 823,000 watchers.

The rest of the top 10 most watched networks for the week include TLC (762,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (722,000), CNN (705,000), INSP (660,000) and Food Network (652,000), according to Nielsen.

ESPN could not unseat Fox News on the total day charts, as the news network averaged 1.4 million viewers to take its 37th consecutive crown in the category. ESPN finished second with 841,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC (791,000), CNN (597,000) and HGTV (475,000), said Nielsen. ■  

ESPN's college football and U.S. Open tennis tournament coverage helped propel the sports network to its second straight weekly primetime cable ratings win during the first full week of September.

ESPN averaged 2.6 million viewers for the week of September 5 to September 11 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen. Fox News finished second for the week with 2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1 million viewers and HGTV with 877,000 viewers.

Hallmark Channel was the fifth most-watched network for the week with 800,000 viewers, followed by ESPN2 (773,000 viewers), INSP (753,000), TLC (747,000), CNN (696,000) and USA Network (668,000).

Fox News extended its total day winning streak to 36 weeks, averaging 1.3 million viewers for the period. ESPN (1 million viewers), MSNBC (721,000), CNN (605,000) and HGTV (491,000), finished among the top five most watched cable networks in the period, according to Nielsen. ■ 

Fox News capped an impressive summer run with a sweep of the weekly cable ratings charts for August, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers in primetime for the week of August 22 to August 28 to top the chart for the 13th consecutive week, reported Nielsen. MSNBC finished second for the week with 1.3 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 1 million viewers.

HGTV was the most watched entertainment-based network with 944,000, followed by NFL Network, which rode its live NFL pre-season game coverage to a fifth place finish with 769,000 viewers.

TBS finished sixth with 745,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (743,000 viewers), TLC (734,000), INSP (722,000) and USA Network (685,000). 

The three cable news networks led the total day chart, with Fox News finishing first for the 34th consecutive week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 820,000 viewers and CNN with 524,000 watchers. HGTV (499,000 viewers) and ESPN (466,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks on the chart, said Nielsen. ■  

The dog days of summer haven’t slowed down the cable news networks’ domination of the weekly primetime and total day ratings charts.

Fox News and MSNBC topped both the primetime and total day charts during the week of August 15 to August 22, marking the sixth consecutive week the two news networks occupied the top positions, according to Nielsen.

In primetime, Fox News finished first with 2.3 million viewers – its 12 consecutive week in the top slot – followed by MSNBC with 1.3 million viewers. ESPN finished third with 887,000 viewers, followed by HGTV’s 872,000 viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 870,000 watchers.

TLC (766,000 viewers), CNN (750,000,) INSP (720,000) NFL Network (709,000) and TBS (673,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

On a total day basis, Fox News ran its consecutive winning streak to 33 weeks with an average of 1.4 million viewers. MSNBC (822,000 viewers) and CNN (564,000) finished second and third respectively, followed by HGTV (479,000) and Hallmark Channel (470,000), reported Nielsen. 

The cable news networks, bolstered by coverage of the August 8 FBI raid on former President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home in Florida, nearly swept the top spots on the weekly primetime and total day charts.

Fox News topped the primetime chart for the week of Aug. 8 to Aug. 14, averaging 2.7 million viewers in notching its 11th straight win, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second for the week with 1.5 million, while CNN finished fourth with 893,000 viewers.

HGTV was the most watched entertainment network with 961,000 viewers to finish third, while Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 7770,000 viewers.

Major League Baseball game telecasts and Pre-season NFL football game airings helped propel ESPN (765,000 viewers) and NFL Network (758,000) to sixth and seventh place finishes respectively, followed by TLC (743,000), INSP (684,000) and TBS (653,000).

Fox News led the charge on the total day charts, averaging 1.6 million viewers for its 32nd consecutive win, followed by MSNBC’s 934,000 viewers and CNN’s 662,000 viewers. HGTV (508,000) and Hallmark Channel (452,000) rounded out the top five most watched cable networks for the week, according to Nielsen. ■  

Cable news networks Fox News Channel and MSNBC continued their hot summer ratings pace, leading both the primetime and total-day charts for the first week of August.

Fox News finished first in primetime for the 10th consecutive week, averaging 2 million viewers for the week of August 1-7, followed by MSNBC with 978,000 viewers, according to Nielsen.

On a total-day basis, Fox News extended its win streak to 31 consecutive weeks with an average of 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 670,000 watchers.

It’s the fourth week in a row that Fox News and MSNBC have occupied the top two slots in both the primetime and total-day charts, Nielsen said. 

HGTV was the most watched network in both primetime (925,000 viewers) and total day (528,000 viewers.) INSP finished fourth in primetime with 816,000 viewers, followed by TLC’s 804,000 viewers.

TBS (768,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (763,000), CNN (656,000), Discovery Channel (655,000) and Food Network (654,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

On a total-day basis, CNN (51,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (452,000), INSP (425,000), Food Network (422,000), TV Land (383,000), USA Network (370,000), and TBS (359,000) finished among the top 10 most-watched cable networks, Nielsen reported. ■

Fox News last week concluded a dominant July ratings performance by sweeping both the primetime and total day charts for the month.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of July 25 to July 31 to top all cable networks for the ninth consecutive week, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second with 1.1 million viewers. 

HGTV was the most watched entertainment network for the week with 965,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel’s 957,000 viewers and TBS’s 836,000 watchers.

Rounding out the top 10 most-watched networks for the week in primetime were Discovery Channel (810,000 viewers), INSP (809,000), TLC (802,000), USA Network (679,000) and ESPN (676,000), said Nielsen.

On a total-day basis, Fox News crushed the cable network field with an average of 1.3 million viewers to notch its 30th consecutive weekly chart win, followed by MSNBC (688,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (554,000), HGTV (518,000) and CNN (485,000), reported Nielsen. ■

The cable news networks rode to the top of the total day charts last week while Fox News continued its winning streak on the primetime charts.

Fox News finished first on a 24-hour basis during the week of July 11 to July 17 for its 28th consecutive win with an average of 1.36 million viewers, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second with 824,000 viewers, followed by CNN with 564,000 watchers.

Hallmark Channel (564,000 viewers) and HGTV (507,000) were the top entertainment networks on the chart, reported Nielsen.

On a primetime basis, Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for its seventh consecutive weekly win, followed by MSNBC’s 1.3 million viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 939,000 viewers.

HGTV was fourth with 888,000 viewers, followed by TLC with 834,000 watchers. TBS (753,000 viewers), Discovery Channel (737,000), INSP (726,000), History (722,000) and CNN (660,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime, said Nielsen.

Fox News continued to sizzle this summer from a cable network ratings perspective, fending off competitors on both the primetime and total day charts.

Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers during the week of July 4 to July 10 to top all cable networks for the sixth straight week, according to Nielsen. Hallmark Channel moved into second place for the week with an average of 1 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 993,000 viewers and MSNBC’s 982,000 watchers.

TLC finished fifth with 771,000 viewers, followed by ESPN (734,000 viewers), INSP (710,000), History (706,000), CNN (705,000) and FX (639,000), reported Nielsen.

On the total day chart, Fox News won for the 27th consecutive week with 1.3 million viewers, nearly doubling second place MSNBC’s 666,000 viewers and easily outdistancing Hallmark Channel (581,000 viewers), HGTV (539,000) and CNN (538,000), said Nielsen.

Fox News Channel continued its control over the top spot on the cable ratings charts heading into July.

The cable news service averaged 2 million viewers in primetime during the week of June 27-0July 3 to top the chart for the fifth straight week, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second with 1.3 million viewers, followed by HGTV with 866,000 viewers. 

INSP finished fourth with 784,000 viewers followed by Discovery Channel’s 746,000 viewers and TLC’s 216,000 watchers. Hallmark Channel (712,000 viewers), History (694,000), TBS (686,000) and CNN (672,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers to take top honors for the 26th consecutive week, followed by MSNBC (838,000), CNN (565,000), HGTV (507,000) and Hallmark Channel (468,000), Nielsen said. ■

Fox News closed out June on a ratings roll, sweeping both the primetime and total day charts for the month. 

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers in primetime to best all cable networks for the fourth consecutive week, according to Nielsen.  MSNBC finished second for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 1.1 million watchers.

HGTV was the most watched entertainment-based network, averaging 936,000 viewers, followed by INSP with 803,000 viewers. Discovery Channel was sixth with 774,000, followed by Hallmark Channel (767,000 viewers), TLC (746,000), History (716,000) and CNN (657,000).

On a total day basis, Fox News finished first for the 25th consecutive week, followed by MSNBC (899,000 viewers), CNN (570,000), HGTV (516,000) and ESPN (492,000), said Nielsen. 

Fox News picked up its second straight ratings primetime win last week while ESPN continues its hot ratings run with support from its NHL Playoffs coverage.

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers in primetime for the week of June 6 to June 12 to top all cable networks, followed by ESPN, which finished with 1.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The sports network has now finished either in first or second place in primetime for four consecutive weeks. 

MSNBC was third for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by HGTV with 996,000 viewers and INSP with 911,000 watchers.

CNN was sixth with 851,000 viewers, followed by TNT (789,000 viewers), Discovery Channel (788,000), Hallmark Channel (751,000) and TLC (736,000).

Fox News was the most watched cable network on a 24-hour basis for the 23rd consecutive week, besting MSNBC (754,000 viewers), ESPN (567,000), HGTV (531,000) and CNN (499,000), said Nielsen. ■  

Also: Former Fox News Politics Editor Testifies at January 6 Committee Hearing 

Fox News Channel last week emerged as the most-watched cable network in primetime, breaking a four-week drought at the top spot.

The news network averaged 2 million viewers for the week of May 30 to June 5 to top last week’s winner, ESPN, which finished second with 1.5 million viewers, followed by TNT with 1.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

HGTV finished fourth with 983,000 viewers followed by History’s 842,000 watchers. Hallmark Channel (830,000 viewers), INSP (828,000), TLC (805,000), MSNBC (800,000) and Discovery Channel (737,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched cable networks in primetime last week.

Fox News blew away the competition in taking the top spot on the total day chart for the 22nd consecutive week. Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers, more than doubling HGTV (562,000 viewers), MSNBC (556,000), ESPN (548,000) and Hallmark Channel (478,000), said Nielsen. ■

The NBA playoffs continued to bolster the ratings fortunes of ESPN and TNT last week as both networks finished among the top three most-watched networks on the primetime chart.

ESPN led all cable networks in primetime during the week of May 23-29 with an average of 3.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It was bolstered by its May 29 Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals telecast, which averaged 9.8 million viewers.

TNT, which drew 6.8 million viewers for Game 5 of the Golden State Warriors-Dallas Mavericks Western Conference Finals on May 26, finished third for the week with 2.2 million viewers.

Fox News Channel came in second place for the week with 2.2 million viewers, while MSNBC pulled into fourth with 1 million viewers and HGTV finished fifth with 921,000 viewers. TLC (848,000 viewers), INSP (754,000), Discovery Channel (746,000), CNN (742,000) and History (740,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime.

Fox News increased its winning streak on the total day charts to 21 weeks with an average of 1.4 million viewers, followed by ESPN (928,000), MSNBC (664,000), TNT (645,000) and CNN (548,000), according to Nielsen. ■ 

Joshua James Duggar, who was featured in the TLC reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for downloading child sexual abuse material.

Duggar was sentenced Wednesday (May 25) in a U.S. District Court in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He had been convicted December 9, 2021 of the illegal receipt and possession of "material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct."

Also: Ten Biggest Reality Series Scandals

Duggar was convicted of downloading videos from the internet depicting abuse, including sadistic abuse, using the dark web and file-sharing software.

The case was brought by the Justice Department as part of its Project Safe Childhood initiative combatting child online sexual exploitation.

Duggar had appeared on the reality show from 2008 through 2015, when TLC pulled the show following allegations Duggar had molested several girls as a teen. ■

Cable news and sports dominated the primetime ratings charts as Fox News and TNT continue to swap first place honors on a weekly basis.

Fox News finished with 2.3 million viewers during the week of April 25 to May 1, barely defeating last week’s winner, TNT, which averaged 2.2 million viewers, and ESPN, who finished in third place with 1.5 million watchers, according to Nielsen. Both TNT and ESPN benefited from their coverage of the NBA playoffs. 

Cable news network MSNBC finished fourth with 1.1 million viewers.

HGTV finished fifth with 1 million viewers, followed by INSP with 783,000. TLC (774,000), CNN (755,000), History (722,000) and Hallmark Channel (714,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

Fox News was the most watched network on a 24-hour basis for the 17th consecutive week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by TNT (732,000 viewers), MSNBC (686,000), ESPN (617,000) and HGTV (567,000). ■ 

Fox News Channel captured its third straight weekly primetime ratings title over sports-fueled cable networks.

Fox News averaged 2.2 million subscribers during the week of April 11 to April 17, besting NBA playoffs-boosted TNT (1.4 million viewers) and ESPN (1.2 million viewers), Nielsen reported. News network MSNBC was fourth with 1.2 million subscribers.

HGTV finished fifth with 971,000 watchers, followed by INSP (860,000); History and TLC (tied with 833,000); Food Network (778,000); and Discovery Channel (753,000).

Three cable news networks occupied the top weekly ratings spots on a 24-hour basis, with Fox News leading the way with 1.5 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (671,000) and CNN (592,000). TNT (587,000) and ESPN (569,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks in the category, per Nielsen. ▪️ 

Fox News Channel kept its place atop the weekly primetime basic-cable ratings, defeating March Madness-infused TBS for the second straight week.

Fox News averaged 2.3 million viewers in primetime for the week of April 4-10 to finish first, ahead of TBS (1.5 million viewers) and TNT (1.2 million). Both TBS and TNT were aided by the combined 17 million viewers who tuned into the networks’ simulcast with truTV of the April 4 Kanasas-North Carolina NCAA Men‘s Basketball Tournament title game, according to Nielsen.

HGTV and ESPN finished tied for fourth place with 1.1 million viewers, while MSNBC grabbed the sixth spot with 1 million viewers. TLC (935,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (853,000), INSP (817,000) and Food Network (761,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched cable networks.

Fox News won its 15th straight weekly total-day ratings crown with an average of 1.5 million viewers. Finishing well off the pace were MSNBC (660,000 viewers), ESPN (654,000), HGTV (592,000), and CNN (586,000), Nielsen said. ▪️

Fox News Channel returned to the top of basic cable‘s primetime ratings chart last week, ousting last week’s winner TBS for top honors, Nielsen reported. 

Fox News averaged 2.5 million viewers in primetime for the week of March 28 to April 3, besting TBS, which rode its coverage of the NCAA men's basketball Final Four to an average of 2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. ESPN, boosted by its women’s college basketball tournament coverage, finished third with 1.7 million viewers, followed by TNT’s 1.5 million watchers. MSNBC pulled into fifth place with 1.1 million viewers.

HGTV (1 million viewers), TLC (890,000), INSP (822,000), History (812,000) and Discovery Channel (741,000) finished among the top 10 most watched networks for the week.

Fox News dusted the competition on a 24-hour basis, averaging 1.6 million viewers to finish first for the 14th straight week in 2022. MSNBC, TBS, CNN and HGTV finished well off the pace for the week, Nielsen said. ■ 

TBS rode its March Madness basketball tournament coverage to a first place finish on last week’s cable primetime ratings chart, according to Nielsen.

TBS, which air live games from rounds three and four of the men’s college basketball tournament, averaged 2.9 million viewers in primetime for the week of March 21 to March 27, stopping Fox News’ nine-week winning streak in the category. The cable news network finished second with 2.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC and HGTV, which tied with 1.1 million viewers. 

CNN finished fifth with 889,000 viewers, followed by ESPN (862,000 viewers), TLC (840,000), INSP (774,000), Discovery Channel (768,000) and History (748,000), said Nielsen.  

Fox News held off TBS on a total day basis to remain undefeated in 2022. MSNBC, CNN and HGTV rounded out the top five most watched networks in the category, reported Nielsen. ■  

The cable news networks, bolstered by coverage of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, locked in the top slots on both the primetime and total day cable charts last week, according to Nielsen.

Fox News led the pack with an average of 3.5 million viewers in primetime for the week of February 28 to March 6, reported Nielsen. Along with its Ukraine coverage, Fox News was led by its March 1 coverage of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, which drew 7.2 million viewers. CNN finished second with 1.8 million viewers for the week, followed by MSNBC with 1.6 million viewers. 

ESPN was fourth with 1.3 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 1 million watchers. Food Network (823,000 viewers), TLC (816,000), History (810,000), Discovery Channel (796,000) and Hallmark Channel (769,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched networks for the week. 

Fox News, CNN and MSNBC also held the top three spots on the total day chart, followed by HGTV, ESPN, Hallmark Channel, Food Network, INSP , TV Land and History, said Nielsen. ■   

The cable news networks, bolstered by coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, topped both the primetime and total day charts last week, according to Nielsen.  

Fox News averaged 3.1 million viewers in primetime during the week of February 21 to February 27, topping CNN and MSNBC, which averaged 1.4 million viewers each to finish in a second place tie, according to Nielsen. 

ESPN finished fourth for the week with 1.1 million viewers, followed by HGTV at 1 million viewers. History (908,000 viewers), Food Network (855,000), Hallmark Channel (845,000), TLC (810,000) and Discovery Channel (799,000), rounded out the top 10 most-watched cable networks in primetime.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers on a total day basis -- it's highest rated week on the charts since the 2020 election -- to top the chart for the eighth straight week.  Fox News beat out CNN (1.1 million viewers), MSNBC (935,000), HGTV (618,000) and Hallmark Channel (497,000), reported Nielsen. 

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TNT’s NBA All-Star Game audience wasn’t big enough to help dethrone Fox News Channel from the top of Nielsen‘s weekly primetime ratings charts. 

Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime during the week of February 14 to February 20 to top the chart for the fifth straight week, said Nielsen. TNT, propelled by its coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend, moved into second place with 2 million viewers. 

MSNBC and HGTV tied for third place with 1 million viewers, followed by USA Network with 997,000 viewers. Hallmark Channel finished sixth with 959,000 viewers, followed by History (926,000), TLC (899,000), INSP (861,000) and ESPN (841,000).

Fox News blew out the rest of the field on a 24-hour basis, averaging 1.5 million viewers in winning its seventh straight week. MSNBC finished a distant second with 659,000, followed by USA Network (627,000 viewers), HGTV (575,000) and TNT (559,000), Nielsen reported. ■

Fox News held off a strong charge by Winter Olympics-fueled USA Network to continue its run at the top of the cable ratings charts, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.5 million viewers in primetime during the week of January 31-February 6 to take its third consecutive primetime ratings crown, Nielsen reported. USA Network, on the strength of its Winter Olympics coverage, finished second with 1.3 million viewers.

MSNBC was third for the week with 1.2 million viewers followed by HGTV with 1.1 million viewers and ESPN with 999,000 watchers. TLC (942,000 viewers), INSP (937,000), Hallmark Channel (834,000), History (817,000) and Food Network (746,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

Fox News topped the total day charts for the fifth consecutive week with 1.5 million viewers, followed by USA Network (811,000), MSNBC (690,000), HGTV (628,000), and ESPN (550,000), said Nielsen. ■ 

Fox News ended January with easy wins in both the primetime and total day categories, according to Nielsen. 

Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime during the week of January 24 to January 30, winning its second straight week in the category by doubling the 1.2 million viewers generated by both MSNBC and HGTV, reported Nielsen. TNT finished fourth with 963,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 949,000 million watchers.

ESPN finished sixth with 936,000 viewers, followed by Lifetime (922,000 viewers), TLC (882,000), INSP (842,000) and History (831,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News averaged 1.5 million viewers, beating out MSNBC (675,000 viewers), HGTV (645,000), ESPN (579,000), and Hallmark Channel (529,000). 

Fox News Channel has topped the weekly cable primetime chart for the first time in 2022, stopping ESPN’s early year run, according to Nielsen.

The news network averaged 2.4 million viewers during the week of January 17 to January 24 to end ESPN’s streak at three weeks, said Nielsen. ESPN finished second with 1.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC and HGTV, which tied with 1.1 million viewers.

Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 952,000 viewers, followed by TLC (904,000 viewers), INSP (837,000), History (767,000), Discovery Channel (765,000) and Food Network (731,000). 

Fox News extended its winning streak on the total day charts to three weeks, averaging 1.5 million viewers. ESPN finished second with 699,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC (670,000), HGTV (649,000) and Hallmark Channel (537,000), according to Nielsen. ■ 

ESPN, boosted by its College Football Playoff National Championship game telecast, retained the top spot on the primetime ratings charts for the third straight week, according to Nielsen.

ESPN averaged 3.8 million viewers for the week of January 10 to January 16, easily beating Fox News Channel, which averaged 2.2 million viewers to finish in second place. The sports network was bolstered by the 22.2 million viewers who tuned into its January 10 Alabama-Georgia CFP title game, won by Georgia 38-18.

MSNBC finished third for the week with 1.2 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 1 million viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 972,000 watchers. TLC (860,000 viewers), INSP (793,000), History (788,000), Discovery Channel (731,000) and Food Network (713,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks for the week. 

Fox News was the most watched network on a 24-hour basis for the second week in a row, averaging 1.4 million viewers. ESPN was next with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (690,000 viewers), HGTV (614,000) and Hallmark Channel (553,000), said Nielsen. ■

Veteran programming executive and former History Channel president Jana Bennett died Thursday at 66.

Bennett, in a 2019 interview with The Evening Standard, revealed that she was suffering from a brain tumor and was supporting research focusing on the disease.  

Bennett served as History Channel’s president and general manager from 2015 to 2017, overseeing the production of such hit series as Roots and Vikings. Named as a Multichannel News Wonder Woman in 2017, Bennett originally joined A+E Networks in 2013 to oversee the rebrand of BIO into FYI. Bennett also oversaw operations for TLC in the late 1990s.

Prior to A+E, Bennett ran British-based BBC Worldwide from 2010 to 2012, part of a multi-decade stint at the BBC. 

“All of us at A+E Networks deeply mourn the loss of our friend and colleague Jana Bennett,” Paul Buccieri, president & chairman, A+E Networks said in a statement. “Jana had an extraordinary career in media and her contributions to the A+E Networks family are too enormous to count. She was a groundbreaking, game-changing, generous and beautiful person. She will be terribly missed by all of us, and especially by me. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.” ■ 

ESPN topped the weekly primetime cable charts for the first full week of the new year and second straight week overall, according to Nielsen.

The sports network averaged 3.5 million viewers to top all cable networks for the week of January 3 to January 9, reported Nielsen. Fox News finished second with 2.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 1.2 million watchers. 

Hallmark Channel and HGTV tied for fourth place with 1.1 million viewers, followed by TLC with 880,000 viewers. INSP (842,000), TBS (761,000), History (744,000), and Discovery Channel (738,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime.

Also: Fox News Taps Jesse Watters to Permanently Host 'Fox News Primetime'

Fox News climbed back into the top spot on the 24-hour ratings chart after ESPN last week snapped the news network’s 45-week winning streak. ESPN finished second, followed by MSNBC, HGTV and Hallmark Channel, said Nielsen. ■

A new season of Darcey & Stacey, an unscripted show about a pair of enterprising twins and their adventures in the clothing business, starts on TLC January 10. It is season three. 

“Darcey & Stacey unleash their inner boss babes by entering their clothing line into Miami Swim Week and they are determined for it to be a huge success,” goes the description. “Balancing their business and careers with their personal lives, however, continues to be a challenge for these busy twins. Stacey & Florian are making plans for their dream wedding ceremony, but when Stacey gets a taste of Florian’s jealous side, she is left questioning whether they’re making the right decision. Meanwhile, Darcey struggles to get back on her feet after ending things with her ex-fiancé Georgi. Will the couple decide to give it another go, or is their wedding and future together over for good?”

The Silva twins were previously on 90 Day Fiancé.

Darcey & Stacey is produced by Sharp Entertainment, an Industrial Media company, for TLC. ■