Weekly Cable Ratings: Cable News Networks Continue to Roll

The Five (Image credit: Fox News)

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. 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.