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This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for 2024.
Cable news networks will be pleased with their overall performance during the year just concluded as they posted better numbers compared to 2023.
The highlight – and driver ratings – of the year it was the presidential contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and the president-elect Donald Trump. Interest in the elections did not seriously pick up until the second half of 2024 when the president Joe Biden he left and Harris took his place at the top of the ticket.
Fox News has proven the biggest beneficiary of the election cycle. It was the only cable network to see double-digit growth across the board in primetime and total day between total viewers and the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo.
An important caveat: When the numbers for 2024 are stacked against 2020 — the last year of the presidential election — it’s abundantly clear that cable news networks are experiencing serious audience erosion, even in Fox News.
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Nielsen live plus same-day data for the year 2024 saw FNC average 2.384 million total viewers and 294,000 A25-54 viewers in prime time. The network grew +30% in total viewers and +40% in the A25-54 demo relative to the previous year.
Throughout the day, Fox News averaged 1.458 million total viewers and 186,000 A25-54 viewers for year-over-year gains of +21% and +26%, respectively.
Among all basic cable networks, Fox News finished first in total primetime viewers and third in the primetime demo. In the whole day, it remains the leader in total viewers and finished in position No. 2 in the demo.
MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 1.223 million total viewers and 133,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for 2024, which translates into respective gains of +1% and +9% compared to 2023.
Throughout the day, MSNBC averaged 791,000 total viewers and 84,000 A25-54 viewers for a +2% bump in the former category, and a -2% drop in the latter.
Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC remains in third place in total primetime viewers and ninth in the primetime demo. During the day total, the network was No. 2 in total viewers and eighth in the demo.
CNN averaged 685,000 viewers in primetime and 147,000 viewers A25-54 during primetime for year-over-year gains of +18% in the former category and +17% in the latter.
Throughout the day, the network saw 481,000 total viewers and 91,000 demo viewers, which translates respectively to a flat result and a drop of -3% compared to 2023.
On the basic cable charts, CNN finished seventh among total viewers and ranked sixth in the primetime demo. During the day total, CNN took fourth place in total viewers and sixth place in the demo.
