Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Takes Primetime Crown From ESPN

Fox News
‘The Five’ on Fox News Channel (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News Channel ended a competitive month of June at the top of both the primetime and total day ratings.

The news network wrested the top spot in primetime from last week’s winner, ESPN, with an average of 1.4 million viewers during the week of June 26 to July 2, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. MSNBC, which topped the primetime chart during the week of June 5, finished second with 1.1 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 1 million viewers.

HGTV was fourth for the week with 785,000 viewers, followed by INSP with 768,000 viewers. USA Network pulled into sixth place with 661,000 viewers, followed by History (645,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel and TLC (tied with 622,000), and CNN (571,000).

The cable news networks topped the total day chart, led by Fox News’s 25th straight consecutive win with 1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (784,000 viewers) and CNN (457,000). HGTV (432,000 viewers) and ESPN (427,000) rounded out the top five most watched networks in the category, Nielsen reported. 

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.