Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Stays Hot in Primetime

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

MSNBC, ESPN round out top three most watched networks for the week

Fox News' Trace Gallagher
'Fox News @Night' (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News Channel extended its run atop the primetime ratings chart to seven straight weeks as it continues to dominate the cable network field during the early months of the year.

Fox News averaged 2 million viewers during the week of February 26-March 3, topping second-place MSNBC’s 1.2 million viewers and ESPN’s 1.1 million watchers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News.

HGTV placed fourth with 740,000 viewers, followed by History’s 739,000 viewers and TBS’s 667,000 viewers. TNT was seventh with 645,000 viewers, followed by INSP (598,000), USA Network (584,000) and Hallmark Channel (574,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News finished first with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (822,000), ESPN (496,000), CNN (470,000) and HGTV (422,000), according to Nielsen. 

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.