Weekly Cable Ratings: DeSantis-Newsom Debate Powers Fox News to Primetime Win

Fox News' 'DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate'
Fox News' 'DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate' (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News’ Ron DeSantis-Gavin Newsom political debate helped the news network retake the top spot on both the primetime and total day charts.

Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers during the week of November 27 to December 3, surpassing last week’s chart leader ESPN’s 1.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The news network's November 30 DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate special averaged 5.4 million viewers across its live airing and repeat telecast to pace its ratings performance.

Hallmark Channel finished in third place with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 1.1 million viewers and History’s 714,000 watchers. HGTV was sixth with 765,000 viewers followed by USA Network (671,000 viewers), Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (644,000), TNT (595,000) and Discovery Channel (569,000.)

On a total day basis, Fox News topped all networks for the 10th time in the last 11 weeks with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (772,000), ESPN (709,000), Hallmark Channel (702,000) and CNN (448,000), according to 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.