Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Three-Peats in Primetime

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Holds off ESPN for top honors

Fox News' 'Gutfeld!'
(Image credit: Fox News Channel)

Fox News held off ESPN to win its third straight weekly primetime cable ratings crown. 

Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers during the week of July 10 to July 16 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen ratings supplied by Fox News. ESPN, bolstered by its July 10 MLB Home Run Derby coverage, finished second with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million watchers.

INSP was fourth for the week with 788,000 viewers, while Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 724,000 viewers. HGTV (710,000 viewers), History (704,000), TLC (674,000), Discovery Channel (643,000), and USA Network (632,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched cable networks in primetime.

Fox News increased its winning streak on the total day chart to 28 weeks, averaging 1 million viewers to top MSNBC (730,000), ESPN (630,000), Hallmark Channel (442,000) and CNN (411,000), 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.