Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Holds Off TNT in Primetime

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Cable news network dominates total-day chart

Pascal Siakam at 2023 NBA All-Star Game
Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. (Image credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fox News Channel defended its weekly primetime ratings crown from a fast break by the NBA All-Star Game-fueled TNT, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for the week of February 13-19 for its fourth-straight primetime win, the ratings agency reported. TNT finished second with 1.5 million viewers, aided by the 4.5 million viewers that tuned into the February 19 NBA All-Star Game telecast. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.1 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 904,000 viewers and ESPN’s 838,000 watchers. History was sixth with 769,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (763,000), INSP (675,000), USA Network (669,000) and TBS (664,000), said the network. 

Fox News topped the total day chart for the sixth-straight week with an average of 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (727,000), HGTV (472,000), ESPN (467,000) and CNN (461,000), Nielsen said. ■  

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.