Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Tops Primetime, Total Day Charts

By R. Thomas Umstead
last updated

ESPN rolls into second place in primetime

Fox News' Sean Hannity
(Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News settled into first place on both the primetime and total day charts for the second week of December, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.7 million viewers in primetime for the week of Dec. 7-Dec. 13, besting ESPN’s 2.3 million, reported Nielsen. MSNBC finished third with 2.1 million viewers, followed by CNN’s 1.8 million viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 1.5 million watchers. 

HGTV (997,000 viewers), History (940,000), Freeform (909,000), TBS (882,000) and USA Network (862,000) rounded out the top 10.

Also Read: Cable News Networks Post Record Ratings November

Fox News was also tops on the total day charts, averaging 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC, CNN, Hallmark Channel and ESPN, said 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.