FOX Business Network managed to hold onto its lead against rival CNBC during the second quarter of 2026, marking seven straight quarters as the most-watched network for total viewers during the business day.
The three-month period, which closed at the end of June, was characterized by a busy financial landscape filled with high-profile initial public offerings, including the highly anticipated market debut of SpaceX.
According to the latest data from Nielsen Media Research, which uses a combination of big data and viewer panels, FOX Business averaged 242,000 total viewers during the business day hours of 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. This represents a 12% increase in total audience compared to the second quarter of 2025. CNBC followed closely in total audience during this same block, drawing 234,000 viewers.
However, the competition flipped when looking at the coveted Age 25-54 demographic, which advertisers watch closely. In that younger category during the business day, CNBC maintained a significant lead, averaging 61,000 viewers compared to 12,000 for FOX Business.
A similar pattern emerged during standard market hours from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. CNBC narrowly took the top spot for total viewers in this specific slot, averaging 242,000 people to FOX Business’s 240,000. Even with CNBC’s slight edge in total volume, the 240,000 figure represents a 16% year-over-year jump for FOX Business. CNBC also held the demographic advantage during market hours with 64,000 viewers in the 25-54 age bracket compared to FOX Business’s 11,000.
For total day viewership, FOX Business pulled ahead for its ninth consecutive quarter of growth over CNBC, averaging 146,000 total viewers against CNBC’s 143,000. CNBC again led the demographic split for the total day metric with 36,000 viewers to FOX Business’s 10,000.
Looking at individual programs, the morning and late-afternoon lineups dictated much of the network momentum. Varney & Co., which airs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, brought in 298,000 total viewers, representing a 13% increase from last year and giving the show an 11% advantage over CNBC’s Squawk on the Street. This marked the 17th consecutive quarter that the program won its time slot in total viewers.
Later in the day, Kudlow at 4:00 PM secured 280,000 total viewers, outperforming CNBC’s Closing Bell by 40% and marking its 19th straight quarterly win over the competing program. Together, Varney & Co. and Kudlow remained the top two business programs on television.
Other daytime shows on FOX Business also posted upward trends. Mornings with Maria, airing from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM, brought in 123,000 viewers, landing its third highest-rated quarter in show history. Midday and afternoon programs followed suit with double-digit gains from the previous year. The Big Money Show averaged 216,000 viewers for a 22% increase, Making Money with Charles Payne drew 194,000 viewers for an 18% lift, and The Claman Countdown hit 194,000 viewers, which was an 11% increase over the second quarter of 2025.
In the post-market hours, the ratings race continued to lean toward FOX Business in total audience size. At 5:00 PM, The Evening Edit recorded 214,000 viewers, holding a 24% lead over CNBC’s Fast Money for the ninth quarter in a row and marking the network’s highest-rated weekday 5:00 PM hour since late 2020. At 6:00 PM, The Bottom Line drew 162,000 viewers, tracking a 21% advantage over CNBC’s Mad Money. On Friday evenings, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street pulled 96,000 viewers, beating out Shark Tank reruns by 30%, while Barron’s Roundtable finished the 7:30 PM half-hour block with 68,000 viewers.
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