Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Blows Away Competition

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Continues winning streak on primetime, total day charts

Fox News' 'FOX & Friends'
(Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News easily topped the primetime and total day ratings charts last week, extending its weekly winning streak in both categories.

Fox News averaged 2 million viewers in primetime for the week of Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, topping the chart for the fifth consecutive week, according to Nielsen. USA Network rode its Summer Olympics coverage to a second place finish with 1.2 million viewers, while MSNBC finished third with 1 million viewers.

Read Also: NBC Claims Tokyo Olympics Have Generated 100 Billion Minutes of Viewing

HGTV pulled into fourth place with 979,000 viewers, followed by INSP with 934,000 watchers. TLC (913,000), Hallmark Channel (749,000), History (720,000), CNN (689,000) and TBS (643,000) rounded out the top 10, reported Nielsen.

Fox News led the total day charts for the 25th consecutive week, averaging 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (675,000 viewers), USA (673,000), HGTV (580,000) and CNN (528,000), according to Nielsen. 

Read Also: Fox News Names Jacqui Heinrich as White House Correspondent 

R. Thomas Umstead
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.