Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Beats Back Competition

Fox News's 'America's Newsroom'
Fox News's 'America's Newsroom' (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News Channel has extended its weekly winning streak in both primetime and total-day ratings into March.

The news network averaged 2 million viewers during the week of February 27-March 6 to notch its sixth straight win, according to Nielsen. ESPN finished second with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million viewers. 

HGTV was fourth with 841,000 viewers, while History moved into fifth place with 776,000 watchers. INSP finished sixth with 758,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (685,000 viewers), TNT (676,000), Discovery Channel (650,000) and Food Network (633,000). 

Fox News took top honors on the total-day chart for the eighth straight week with 1.3 million, followed by MSNBC (693,000 viewers), ESPN (562,000), CNN (446,000) and HGTV (439,000), Nielsen said. ■ 

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.