Weekly Cable Ratings: News Networks Maintain Hot Pace

The Ingraham Angle
(Image credit: Fox News)

The first week of February featured few surprises on the cable ratings front as the cable news networks continued to dominate the primetime and total day charts.

Fox News was the most watched cable network in primetime during the week of Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, averaging 2.3 million viewers. MSNBC was second with 2.2 million viewers, followed by CNN’s 1.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The news networks have topped cable’s weekly primetime in all but one week thus far in 2021. 

HGTV was the most-watched entertainment-based network for the week with 1 million viewers, followed by TNT with 994,000 viewers and Hallmark Channel with 951,000. ESPN (907,000), History (825,000), Discovery Channel (787,000) and USA Network (757,000) round out the most watched networks in primetime for the week.

MSNBC’s 1.3 million viewers on a total day basis topped CNN, Fox News, HGTV and Hallmark Channel for the week, according to Nielsen.  

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.