In 2023, Fox had 994,000 average viewers, making it the leading ad-supported TV network in the United States among adults in the 18 to 49 demographic group. NBC ranked in second, with 931,000 average viewers, followed by ABC with nearly 800,000 average viewers.

Best performing TV networks in the U.S. among total viewers

The extent of NBC’s success in 2023 is even clearer when considering the vast difference between NBC and the networks ranking in third and fourth place among total viewers. Fox had 3.35 million, meaning that NBC had over one million more average viewers than one of its close competitors. Interestingly, although Fox ranked fourth among the leading ad supported U.S. networks, only three of Fox’s shows secured places in the top ten most watched shows of 2023. Top cable news networks in the U.S. TV shows aside, some of the highest performing cable networks are those which specialize in news. This is where Fox tends to excel, regularly pulling in over one million primetime viewers each month. Other cable news networks competing with Fox include MSNBC which tends to rank second, followed by CNN.

The leading ad-supported cable network in the United States in 2023 ranked by number of viewers was FOX News, with about 1.9 million of viewers in the presented period. Ranking second and third respectively were ESPN and MSNBC, followed by Hallmark Channel which averaged around 800,000 viewers.

What are the most-watched news networks? In November 2023, Fox News was the most watched cable news network in the United States and continues to do well in terms of its primetime audience, with 1.72 million primetime viewers in that period. Fox News viewers in the 25-54 demographic amounted to 199 thousand, whilst MSNBC had just 109 thousand. When looking at Fox News viewers compared to CNN, the overall average number of primetime viewers was notably different. CNN has been losing viewers in recent years, although during the coronavirus outbreak, tended to pull in a larger audience than usual. Which cable news channel has the most viewers in prime time? Performing well during the mid-evening prime time slot on cable television is the goal of any network that takes its ratings seriously.Cable news networks like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC are engaged in a monthly battle to hit the top spot during primetime and grab the highest cable news ratings during those precious evening hours. Fox News ratings during primetime are generally higher than its two direct competitors, and was the top channel for watching the State of the Union Address in 2020. What is prime time TV? Primetime television is the time at which the audience peaks, and in the United States usually takes place between 8pm and 11pm. TV networks show their most sought after or successful programs during this time, and this slot is where advertisers like to spend their money in order to maximize the number of viewers who will see their products. In fact, many of the most-watched news shows like Hannity or The Rachel Maddow Show which debate news coverage from a particular point of view, draw in massive audiences each month, ultimately contributing to the overall ratings of the network they belong to.

Cable TV news consumption is on the decline. Adults aged between 18 and 34 years old were the least likely to use cable TV networks as a source of news, with a survey held in the United States in August 2022 revealing that 45 percent never did so. Younger consumers preferred social media sites for keeping up to date, and whilst their older peers turned to cable news more frequently, network news was still a more popular daily news source.

Falling cable news ratings

Back in 2017, FOX News, the leading cable news network in the United States, had an average of almost 470 thousand viewers in the primetime demo. With the exception of 2020 where news consumption soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, ratings have fallen consecutively each year, and by 2022, FOX’s average viewer count sank to 341 thousand. CNN and MSNBC saw even greater drops in their audiences, with the latter seeing its ratings fall by more than 2.5 times between 2017 and 2022.

Why the drop in ratings?

Cable and satellite TV is no longer the norm: only adults aged 60 or above express a preference for traditional TV over video streaming services and apps, and among certain age groups the share who preferred the latter was over 70 percent. Indeed, a 2022 survey found that the majority of Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X did not have a cable subscription. The main reason for cutting the cord was price, with over a third of adults saying that cable was simply too expensive.

In the final quarter of 2020, CNN averaged 412 thousand total day viewers aged between 25 and 54 years. The cable news network managed to attract a greater amount of viewers from this younger demographic compared to its competitors Fox News and MSNBC. Fox News was the leading network with almost 1.84 million total day viewers in Q4 2020.

Satellite TV providers distribute TV programs on a subscription or fee basis through direct broadcast satellites. These providers have struggled with intense competition from online streaming services, fueling a depression in subscriber rates. As a result, revenue has fallen at an estimated CAGR of 6.4% to $40.2 billion through the end of 2024, with an expected drop of 3.1% in 2024 alone. New networks, boosted channel options and bonus features have padded satellite TV providers from extreme slumps, as providers have been able to charge high rates to existing customers with these additional services. Companies attempt to compensate by selling higher-margin services to existing customers to mitigate shrinking subscriber numbers. Also, providers lock in a segment of revenue for a period of time, as subscribers to satellite TV are on a contract for usually a year or two. These reasons explain why satellite TV profit as a percentage of revenue has remained relatively steady despite poor industry performance. Over the past five years, satellite TV providers have faced increasing challenges as cord-cutting became the norm. The growing preference for internet-based streaming, supported by more accessible high-speed broadband and advanced data compression technologies, has only accelerated this shift. Regulatory hurdles, including signal interference and mandatory carriage fees for local channels, have added to the industry's struggles. The climb in multiplatform streaming and the shrinking of the industry's most loyal demographic— older consumers who prefer traditional TV—have compounded the woes of satellite TV providers. The mounting availability of online content and an expanding market for connected portable devices like mobile phones and tablets will continue to threaten traditional TV through the end of 2029. Also, the boosted proliferation of devices like Smart TVs (internet-ready TVs with streaming applications included) will push down demand for new satellite TV packages. The future success of major satellite TV providers will be contingent on them developing ways to retain and attract subscribers, with many viewers still tuning in on satellite TV and cable to view programs like international content and sporting events. Revenue is poised to contract at a CAGR of 3.1% to $34.4 billion through the end of 2029.

As of April 2017, 57 percent of adults in the United States aged between 55 and 64 years old said that they watched Fox News, making viewers in this age category the cable news channel’s most avid audience. Conversely, younger generations were less likely to say that they watched Fox News.

Fox News’ demographic

In 2018, Fox News’ website was the highest rated online news brand in the United States based on index score, ranking above USA Today, ABC and the New York Times. However, Fox News’ audience is greatly affected by age and as such relies on its older audiences more so than younger viewers. As of August 2018, CNN was the most popular source for TV news among U.S. Millennials, whereas Fox was by far the most preferable among respondents aged 55 or above.

Fox News and trust

Trust in news has become a major topic in recent years, with consumers all over the world encountering fake news stories and even key figures labeling certain content as false in an attempt to smear news publications. A 2018 survey revealed that the majority of U.S. adults said that they believed Fox News was extremely biased, and another study showed that attitudes towards the trustworthiness of Fox News were mixed. Fox News’ credibility has been called into question in recent years, with viewers also scrutinizing Fox’s main competitors CNN and MSNBC as trust, transparency and accuracy become increasingly important to news consumers.

In 2023, TV consumption in the United States was highest among African Americans, who watched an average of 3.28 hours of TV each day. While the viewing time dropped among white, Black, and Hispanic consumers, Asian Americans’ time spent grew from 2021 to 2022 to around two hours per day. TV and streaming engagement among racial groups As of mid 2022, The U.S. population still spent most of their time watching TV and streaming content on traditional media, such as cable and broadcast. Roughly 35 percent of their viewing time was allocated to streaming. It was also observed that Hispanics were more likely to use online video platforms than any other ethnic group, with a viewing time share of over 43 percent. By contrast, using streaming services accounted for around one third of the total viewing time among white and Asian consumers. Traditional TV vs. digital video The way consumers watch TV shows and movies has changed significantly. A forecast showed that traditional TV consumption among Americans will continue to steadily decline in the upcoming years. Meanwhile, with an increasing number of consumers adopting streaming and social videos, digital video soars, outpacing TV viewing time by the end of 2023.

Data on the share of adults who subscribed to a cable TV service in the United States as of January 2023 showed that adults aged 65 years or above were most likely to be subscribers, with half of them stating that they are currently subscribing to cable TV services. By contrast, respondents between the ages of 35 and 44 were the most likely to have subscribed to cable in the past but then cut the cord later on.

The statistic shows the share of consumers who watch Fox News in the United States as of April 2017, sorted by gender. During the survey, 56 percent of male respondents stated that they watched the cable news channel.

The statistic shows the share of consumers who watch CNN in the United States as of April 2017, sorted by age. During the survey, 43 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 stated that they watched the cable news channel.

A 2021 survey showed that 56 percent of the adults in the United States stated they receive TV via cable or satellite. The adults aged between 18 and 29 years old were the group which presented the lowest share (34 percent), while the adults aged 65 years old or more had the highest percentage (81 percent).

As of July 2022, Hispanic Americans spent most of their TV and video viewing time watching content on streaming platforms, with a share of 43.6 percent reporting that they streamed rather than used broadcast or cable. The same applied to the Black and Asian U.S. population, while white people still tend to watch more often on cable TV.

According to the most recent data, U.S. viewers aged 15 years and older spent on average almost three hours watching TV per day in 2023. Adults aged 65 and above spent the most time watching television at over four hours, whilst 15 to 19-year-olds watched TV for less than two hours each day. The dynamic TV landscape The way people consume video entertainment platforms has significantly changed in the past decade, with a forecast suggesting that the time spent watching traditional TV in the U.S. will probably decline in the years ahead, while digital video will gain in popularity. Younger age groups in particular tend to cut the cord and subscribe to video streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. TV advertising in a transition period Similarly, the TV advertising market made a development away from traditional linear TV towards online media. While the ad spending on traditional TV in the U.S. generally increased until the end of the 2010s, this value is projected to decline to below 60 billion U.S. dollars in the next few years. By contrast, investments in connected TV advertising are expected to steadily grow, despite the amount being just over half of the traditional TV ad spend by 2025.

The statistic shows the share of consumers who watch CNN in the United States as of April 2017, sorted by political affiliation. During the survey, 61 percent of Democrat respondents stated that they watched the cable news channel.

In the United States, an average of 370 thousand viewers watched AMC in 2023. Viewership has been dropping each year, and with the continued decline of broadcast networks, the current figure can be expected to decrease further in the years to come.

Among those who subscribed to a cable TV service in the United States as of January 2023, Black adults were the most likely ethnic group to currently subscribe, with 46 percent saying that they had an active subscription. Meanwhile, 39 perecnt of white respondents said the same.

According to a March 2023 survey, older people from the U.S. were the more they preferred cable and satellite TV over streaming platforms, with over half of respondents aged 60 years and older preferring pay TV boxes. By contrast, nearly three in four consumers aged 18 to 24 years preferred streaming services.

In the United States, back in 2014, the Disney Channel had almost two million average viewers in the United States, but yearly declines in viewership persisted and by 2024 the network had just around 110 thousand average viewers across the year. With a decline of 17 percent of total viewers between 2023 and 2024 alone, it has been suggested that Disney Channel will continue to suffer in the years to come, and Disney Junior's performance is equally poor.