As the year draws to a close, Fox News Channel (FNC) has cemented a significant lead over broadcast rival NBC in weekday primetime viewership. According to Nielsen Big Data + Panel figures released Tuesday, the cable network has pulled ahead in the year-to-date race, averaging 3,153,000 viewers compared to NBC’s 3,113,000.
The data for the week of December 15 shows FNC commanding the landscape, securing 84 of the top 100 telecasts across all of cable. For the measured week, the network drew an average of 2.1 million viewers in primetime (Monday through Sunday) and maintained a total day average of 1.4 million.
The Five remained a dominant force, leading all of cable news with 3.5 million viewers. The network’s evening lineup showed consistent strength, with Jesse Watters Primetime bringing in 2.9 million viewers at 8 p.m. ET, followed closely by Hannity at 9 p.m. ET, which secured 2.8 million viewers and led the key 25-54 demographic with 300,000 viewers.
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Perhaps the most notable trend appeared in late-night television. Gutfeld! continued to outpace traditional broadcast competitors, averaging 2.5 million viewers. This performance placed the cable show ahead of major network staples, including CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, both of which averaged 2 million viewers, as well as NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
The ratings win extended into daytime programming, where FNC shows frequently outperformed broadcast equivalents. The Will Cain Show drew 2.1 million viewers at 4 p.m. ET, surpassing CBS Mornings. Similarly, daytime blocks including Outnumbered and The Faulkner Focus posted higher viewership numbers than NBC’s Today with Jenna and Friends and ABC’s GMA3.
Weekend programming saw similar results, with Fox & Friends Weekend taking the Saturday top spot at 1.2 million viewers, while Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures claimed the Sunday crown with 1.3 million viewers.
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