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 **** million total day viewers in Q4 2020.

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 **** million primetime viewers in that period. Fox News viewers in the 25-54 demographic amounted to *** thousand, whilst MSNBC had just *** 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.

In the week running from March 9 to 15, 2020, Fox News averaged **** million viewers in primetime, and CNN outperformed MSNBC with its primetime audience of **** million. Comparing these figures to the corresponding week of the previous year, primetime viewership is noticeably higher among all three of the major cable news networks. Cable news network viewership varies monthly, though Fox News generally comes out on top, but the TV industry as a whole will be keeping a close eye on developments and ratings in spring 2020 in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic which is driving people indoors as they self-isolate, contrary to normal spring behaviour which tends to send viewers outdoors and away from their television sets.

Important to note here is that on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the coronavirus was a global pandemic, right in the middle of the week in March 2020 presented in the graph. In that week, Fox News averaged over *** million more primetime viewers than in the corresponding period in 2019, and CNN's primetime audience was around ***** times higher.

In April 2025, the news website with the most monthly visits in the United States was nytimes.com, with a total of ***** million monthly visits in that month. In second place was cnn.com with just over *** million visits, followed by foxnews.com with almost a ****** of a million. Online news consumption in the U.S. Americans get their news in a variety of ways, but social media is an increasingly popular option. A survey on social media news consumption revealed that ** percent of Twitter users regularly used the site for news, and Facebook and Reddit were also popular for news among their users. Interestingly though, social media is the least trusted news sources in the United States. News and trust Trust in news sources has become increasingly important to the American news consumer amidst the spread of fake news, and the public are more vocal about whether or not they have faith in a source to report news correctly. Ongoing discussions about the credibility, accuracy and bias of news networks, anchors, TV show hosts, and news media professionals mean that those looking to keep up to date tend to be more cautious than ever before. In general, news audiences are skeptical. In 2020, just **** percent of respondents to a survey investigating the perceived objectivity of the mass media reported having a great deal of trust in the media to report news fully, accurately, and fairly.

In 2024, ** of the most watched U.S. television programs were attributed to NFL games, demonstrating the great importance of sports content and football, in particular, with the population. However, this marked a decline of over ** broadcasts between 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, with the presidential elections taking place in 2024, news and politics programming became increasingly popular, with ** broadcasts being in the top 100 that year.

Snapshot img

Smart TV Market Size 2025-2029

The smart TV market size is valued to increase USD 149.5 billion, at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2024 to 2029. Technological advancements in TV resolution will drive the smart TV market.

Major Market Trends & Insights

APAC dominated the market and accounted for a 59% growth during the forecast period.
By Distribution Channel - Offline segment was valued at USD 61.50 billion in 2023
By Application - Below 32 inches segment accounted for the largest market revenue share in 2023

Market Size & Forecast

Market Opportunities: USD 248.80 billion
Market Future Opportunities: USD 149.50 billion
CAGR from 2024 to 2029 : 16.8%

Market Summary

The market represents a dynamic and continually evolving sector, driven by advancements in core technologies and applications. With the increasing popularity of high-definition and 4K resolution, technological innovations have become a primary market driver. According to recent reports, 4K TVs accounted for over 30% of global TV sales in 2020. The growing influence of digital media on smart TV advertising and marketing further fuels market growth. However, concerns regarding security and privacy, as smart TVs collect and analyze user data, pose significant challenges.
The service types or product categories within the market include streaming services, smart TV apps, and voice control features. Regions like North America and Europe are major contributors to the market's growth due to their advanced digital infrastructure and high consumer adoption rates.

What will be the Size of the Smart TV Market during the forecast period?

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How is the Smart TV Market Segmented ?

The smart tv industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Distribution Channel

  Offline
  Online


Application

  Below 32 inches
  32 to 45 inches
  46 to 55 inches
  56 to 65 inches
  Above 65 inches


Type

  4K
  Full HD
  HD
  8K


Display Type

  LED
  OLED
  QLED


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    Australia
    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Distribution Channel Insights

The offline segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The market is experiencing significant growth, with high-end smart TVs gaining increasing popularity due to the proliferation of OTT streaming services in key regions like the US, India, and China. According to recent reports, the market for smart TVs has seen a notable increase in adoption, with approximately 55% of all TV sales in 2021 being smart TVs. Furthermore, industry experts predict that this trend will continue, with smart TV sales expected to reach around 65% of all TV sales by 2025. Advancements in technology, such as OLED screen technology, firmware version control, and Dolby Vision support, have contributed to the improved picture quality and enhanced user experience of smart TVs.

These features, along with the expanding app store ecosystem and streaming app compatibility, have made smart TVs an essential device for modern homes. Moreover, the market is witnessing continuous innovation, with developments in color accuracy testing, software update mechanisms, panel response time, screen size variations, input lag measurement, energy efficiency ratings, wireless connectivity options, voice control integration, HDR display technology, smart home integration, sound quality assessment, and QLED screen technology. The offline segment, consisting of consumer electronics stores, hypermarkets, and supermarkets, remains the primary distribution channel for smart TVs.

Despite the rise of e-commerce platforms, offline sales continue to dominate the market due to the tangibility and hands-on experience they offer. However, the gap between online and offline prices has narrowed significantly, with companies increasingly focusing on competitive online pricing to attract customers.

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The Offline segment was valued at USD 61.50 billion in 2019 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

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Regional Analysis

APAC is estimated to contribute 59% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

See How Smart TV Market Demand is Rising in APAC Request Free Sample

In the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, India and China emerged as significant consumers in the market by 2024. The surge in consumer preference for smart TVs, particularly in emerging economies

The most popular online news brands in the United States as of February 2025 were CNN.com and Fox News online. A study found that 23 percent and 22 percent of respondents to a survey had visited those sites respectively for news in the last week. Also high in the ranking were Yahoo! News and The New York Times online. Support for and trust in both sources varies significantly according to the political affiliation of audiences, particularly among Democrats and Republicans. News and politics A survey revealed that more than ** percent of Republicans reported not trusting The New York Times, whereas The NYT is one of the most trusted news sources among Democrats. The same study found that over ** percent of Democrats did not trust Fox News**. The perceived credibility of major news sources in the United States changes annually and is often influenced by election campaigns and the voting persuasions of the American public. However, whilst most Democrats believe the mass media to be objective in its reporting, very few Republicans feel the same. In 2020, just ** percent of Republicans trusted news organizations to report fully, accurately, and fairly. Trust in news The most trusted news sources in the United States are radio, network news, and newspapers, despite online outlets being used more frequently by younger audiences. Social media and podcasts are considered the least trustworthy news platforms by all American voters, though again, the survey indicated that Republicans are generally more distrusting of mass media news than voters of other political parties.

Context

Daily Netflix Top 10 Movie/TV Show in the United States from 2020 - Mar 2022.

Acknowledgements

Data source: https://www.the-numbers.com/netflix-top-10 Cover image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/netflix-on-an-imac-5082566/

The American cable sports channel ESPN dominated the ratings of syndicated programs in the United States, with the NFL season taking the top ten spots for the most viewed program from August 2019 to August 2020. Nearly *** percent of the American population tuned into watch the NFL regular season first telecast on the **** November 2019.

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.

According to a survey held among adults in the United States in February 2022, ABC and CBS were considered to be the most credible news sources in the country, with 61 percent of respondents believing the organizations to be very or somewhat credible. Sources which fared less well were MSNBC, Fox News, National Public Radio, and HuffPost, with less than 50 percent of adults agreeing that they found these to be reliable news outlets. The credibility of all the news sources in the ranking was higher in 2022 than in the previous year, though the figures in 2021 were particularly low.

Trust and bias in news Finding trustworthy, impartial news sources can be difficult for audiences in a world where fake news is in constant circulation and bias in news is a growing concern. More than 50 percent of total respondents to a survey held in early 2020 believed that there was a fair amount or great deal of bias in the news sources they used most often. The same study found that close to 70 percent of respondents were more concerned with bias in news that other people may consume than with their own news source.

A report exploring trust in news found that radio, network news, and newspapers were the most trusted news sources in the United States, whereas social media was not considered reliable in this regard. The lack of trust in news on social media has yet to affect consumption – social networks are the most used source of news among many consumers, particularly younger generations. In fact, some news consumers are moving away from official news platforms altogether and getting their updates from influencers rather than journalists.

The long anticipated 2020 presidential election in the United States has been accompanied by many campaign ads aired on broadcasting TV. A study examining political advertising aired between June and October 2020 found that most ads by Democratic candidate Biden were aired during local news, with ******. The second largest number of Biden's ads run during Judge Judy.

In 2020, the leading single telecast TV program in the United States based on average number of viewers was Super Bowl LIV, followed by the post-game telecast with ***** million viewers. While the majority of the most watched single telecast were sport programs, The Oscars ranked tenth with around ***** million viewers.

“NFL Sunday Night Football” was the most watched TV show in the United States in the 2023/2024 season, with roughly **** million viewers. “NFL Monday Night Football” ranked second with approximately ** million viewers. NFL sports broadcasts score high with viewers Football matches and other live sports events have always attracted impressive audiences in the United States, and this popularity also extends to their television broadcasts. In 2023, the Super Bowl LVII was the top primetime telecast in the U.S., drawing nearly *** million viewers to their screens. Furthermore, none of the 10 most successful primetime programs were not football-related, explaining why 30-second advertising slots during the Super Bowl cost an average of ***** million U.S. dollars. Most popular TV networks NBC was the leading ad-supported television network in the United States, with an average viewership of around **** million viewers in 2023. One of its most popular shows during the 2023/2024 season included “Chicago Fire,” a drama that has been on the air for many years. The only other network to surpass **** million viewers in 2023 was CBS, which aired “NCIS” as one of its most successful fictional series.

Data revealed that the number of traditional pay TV households in the United States stood at around ** million in 2023. This figure will likely drop further over the next few years and amount to less than ** million by 2028. Meanwhile, digital pay TV is becoming increasingly popular. Pay TV is fighting an uphill battle The United States is one of the largest pay TV markets worldwide based on penetration. But even though millions of viewers frequently tune in to watch their favorite shows, news broadcasts, and sports events on the small screen, the U.S. pay TV industry is facing enormous challenges. More viewers are canceling their cable or satellite subscriptions than ever, be it because of mounting prices, limited content offerings, or the proliferation of over-the-top (OTT) video services and streaming platforms. Based on the latest data, over half of TV households in the country are currently without a telco, cable, or satellite TV provider. Can cable companies combat subscriber loss? The cord-cutting movement and other recent changes in consumer behavior have had a substantial impact on the pay TV landscape and its players. In 2023, U.S. pay TV providers suffered a combined net subscriber loss of around **** million viewers. This downward trend also extends to the largest pay TV providers in the U.S., such as Charter and Comcast. However, they have recently ventured into the world of streaming to offset subscriber losses, but whether this expansion will be enough to effectively combat churn remains to be seen.

The leading movie commercial in the United States based on weekly television advertising spending for the week ending January 5, 2020 was for war drama film '1917', with a 10.41 million U.S. dollar spend by studio Universal Pictures. Universal also spent 5.77 million U.S. dollars on TV promotion of 'Dolittle'.

A study on the 2020 presidential election in the United States and the advertising used by the two camps found that the TV advertising aired by the Democrat candidate Joe Biden focused on the coronavirus pandemic as well as health care. Namely **** percent of TV ads airings were addressing the COVID-19 crisis, while in another **** percent of ads the general topic of health care appeared.

In 2021, TV advertising spending in North America amounted to nearly **** billion U.S. dollars. This figure represented a drop of about *** percent compared to 2020, and according to the latest forecasts, spending on TV ads will likely plateau at this level.

TV advertising trends Television remains one of the most popular and effective advertising channels worldwide. Despite the ongoing digitalization of the advertising world and the proliferation of online streaming services, marketers still embrace the power of linear television. In North America, the largest TV ad region worldwide, spending on TV promotion has not fallen below the 60-billion-dollar mark since 2011. As the TV penetration rate in the United States and many other markets continues to decline, however, internet ads have overtaken TV as the leading advertising medium.

Most expensive TV slots While audiences are exposed to advertising messages on a daily basis, airtimes during top-rated TV shows, sports events, and awards ceremonies are particularly popular among advertisers. In the United States, NBC Sunday Night Football was the most expensive show for advertisers on broadcast TV during the 2020/21 season. The average price for a 30-second spot during the show stood at over *** thousand U.S. dollars, while the cost of a Super Bowl commercial has now hit a record *** million U.S. dollars, respectively.

According to a survey conducted among marketers in the United States between March and April 2021, ** percent of respondents said their company or main client used digital video channels as part of their advertising strategy in 2020, while ** percent said they used traditional TV. When it came to digital video channels, ** percent of respondents said they made use of digital desktop video, while ** percent said they used mobile video. Among traditional TV channels, ** percent of respondents said they used data-driven linear TV, while ** percent used broadcast/cable TV.

Sunday Night Football (NBC) and Thursday Night Football (FOX) were the most expensive shows for broadcast TV advertising during the 2020/21 season in the United States. Data showed that 30-second spots during these programs were priced at ***** thousand and ***** thousand U.S. dollars, respectively. TV advertising trends in the U.S. Television remains one of the most popular and effective advertising media in the United States. Despite the ongoing digitalization of the ad industry, marketers still embrace the power of (linear) television for promotion, as live sporting events and awards ceremonies can attract millions of viewers. In 2021, TV ad spend in the U.S. amounted to over ** billion U.S. dollars, and even though investments are set to plateau in the following years, advertisers still dig deep into their pockets when it comes to certain programs and airtimes. This willingness to spend is perhaps best exemplified by Procter & Gamble, the leading advertising spender on U.S. network television that devoted over *** million U.S. dollars towards TV ads in 2020. Super Bowl and super ad prices While TV viewership of the Super Bowl has declined since 2015, the event still draws an impressive number of football fans to their screens each year. Whether audiences tune in for the match itself or the extravagant half-time shows, the annual broadcast promises nationwide exposure to companies that have secured one of the desired and highly contested advertising slots. The price for a TV commercial during the Super Bowl peaked at an average **** million U.S. dollars per 30-second spot in 2020, with Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and other top Super Bowl advertisers willing to invest even larger sums that year.