Fox News Channel (FNC) surged past CBS in weekday primetime viewership during the week of January 5, 2026, averaging 2.7 million viewers compared to the broadcast network’s 2 million, according to the latest Nielsen Big Data + Panel figures.
The ratings victory for the cable news giant coincided with a difficult launch for the revamped CBS Evening News. The debut week for anchor Tony Dokoupil saw viewership slide across all key metrics. The program averaged just over 4.1 million total viewers and 533,000 in the key 25-54 demographic. These figures represent a 20% drop in total viewers and a 27% decline in the demographic compared to the same week last year.
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The broadcast competition left CBS trailing significantly. ABC’s World News Tonight dominated with over 8 million viewers—outpacing CBS by 94%—while NBC Nightly News drew 6.7 million viewers, a 61% lead over Dokoupil’s broadcast.
In the cable arena, Fox News secured 95 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the week. The Five remained a powerhouse, averaging 3.9 million viewers to rank as the most-watched show in cable news. In the 8 PM ET slot, Jesse Watters Primetime claimed the title of highest-rated show in primetime with 3 million viewers.
Fox also continued its disruption of the late-night landscape. Gutfeld! averaged 2.7 million viewers and 319,000 in the 25-54 demographic, effectively beating broadcast stalwarts including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and NBC’s The Tonight Show.
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Other notable performances included Special Report with Bret Baier, which posted its strongest numbers since September with 3 million viewers. Daytime programming also saw growth, with The Will Cain Show hitting a season high of 2.4 million viewers.
The weekend lineup maintained the momentum, with Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures ranking as the top weekend cable news program with 1.7 million viewers, while the Saturday debut of Fox News Live with Aishah Hasnie won its time slot with 1.6 million viewers.
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