Fox News Draws Most Viewers For 2022 Midterms, Crushing Cable and Broadcast Networks

Aidan McLaughlinNov 9th, 2022, 4:10 pm
 

Fox News Election Night

Fox News drew 7.2 million viewers and 1.8 million in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic during prime time coverage of the 2022 midterm elections according to early Nielsen numbers, an impressive audience that bested every other cable news and broadcast news network.

Fox’s election night coverage was hosted by anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, with Bill Hemmer manning the network’s “Bill Board” election map.

That average, which is according to Nielsen early data, was more than what MSNBC and CNN pulled in combined.

In the prime time hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., MSNBC beat out CNN in total viewers with 3.1 million and 747,000 in the demo, while CNN drew 2.47 million total viewers but beat MSNBC in the demo with 983,000.

MSNBC, notably, beat CNN in total viewers for the first election ever.

As for the broadcast networks, ABC led the way with 3.3 million viewers while NBC placed second with 3.1 million overall and CBS placed third with 2.56 million viewers.

Here is a full breakdown of Tuesday’s cable news ratings by show:

Total Viewers (thousands)

ET FNC CNN MSNBC NEWSMAX NEWSNATION
6a FOX AND FRIENDS:
1354		 CNN THIS MORNING:
305		 MORNING JOE:
828		 ROB CARSONS WHAT IN THE:
55		 EARLY MORNING:
7
7a FOX AND FRIENDS:
1870		 CNN THIS MORNING:
350		 — WAKE UP AMERICA:
162		 MORNING IN AMERICA:
28
8a FOX AND FRIENDS:
2198		 CNN THIS MORNING:
427		 — — —
9a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
2182		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
466		 MORNING JOE:
909		 NATIONAL REPORT:
275		 —
10a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
2275		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
574		 JOSE DIAZ-BALART REPORTS:
651		 — NWSN LIVE W/ MARNI HUGHES:
34
11a FAULKNER FOCUS, THE:
2232		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
544		 MSNBC REPORTS- LIVE:
611		 — —
12p OUTNUMBERED:
2384		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
645		 ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS:
725		 JOHN BACHMAN NOW:
274		 BLUE BLOODS:
88
1p AMERICA REPORTS:
2195		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
774		 CHRIS JANSING REPORTS:
770		 — BLUE BLOODS:
149
2p AMERICA REPORTS:
2200		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
723		 KATY TUR REPORTS:
869		 AMERICAN AGENDA:
274		 BLUE BLOODS:
175
3p STORY, THE:
2469		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
826		 HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS:
941		 — BLUE BLOODS:
203
4p YOUR WORLD W/NEIL CAVUTO:
2569		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1015		 DEADLINE:WHITE HOUSE:
1503		 CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW, THE:
409		 BLUE BLOODS:
263
5p FIVE, THE:
4827		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1137		 — SPICER & CO:
449		 NEWSNATION: RUSH HOUR:
92
6p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
4521		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1367		 DECISION 2022:
1854		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
53
7p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
5826		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1998		 DECISION 2022:
2375		 ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT:
577		 DECISION DESK 2022:
73
8p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
7274		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
2513		 DECISION 2022:
2898		 VOTE FOR AMERICA 2022:
572		 DECISION DESK 2022:
83
9p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
7805		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
2683		 DECISION 2022:
3296		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
104
10p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
7186		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
2627		 DECISION 2022:
3435		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
92
11p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
5745		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
2254		 DECISION 2022:
3155		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
69

25-54 Demo (thousands)

ET FNC CNN MSNBC NEWSMAX NEWSNATION
6a FOX AND FRIENDS:
218		 CNN THIS MORNING:
56		 MORNING JOE:
126		 ROB CARSONS WHAT IN THE:
5		 EARLY MORNING:
1
7a FOX AND FRIENDS:
295		 CNN THIS MORNING:
87		 — WAKE UP AMERICA:
13		 MORNING IN AMERICA:
2
8a FOX AND FRIENDS:
340		 CNN THIS MORNING:
125		 — — —
9a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
301		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
99		 MORNING JOE:
119		 NATIONAL REPORT:
30		 —
10a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
326		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
134		 JOSE DIAZ-BALART REPORTS:
93		 — NWSN LIVE W/ MARNI HUGHES:
3
11a FAULKNER FOCUS, THE:
324		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
135		 MSNBC REPORTS- LIVE:
85		 — —
12p OUTNUMBERED:
351		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
167		 ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS:
120		 JOHN BACHMAN NOW:
16		 BLUE BLOODS:
6
1p AMERICA REPORTS:
338		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
188		 CHRIS JANSING REPORTS:
139		 — BLUE BLOODS:
26
2p AMERICA REPORTS:
384		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
197		 KATY TUR REPORTS:
137		 AMERICAN AGENDA:
22		 BLUE BLOODS:
12
3p STORY, THE:
435		 ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA:
194		 HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS:
151		 — BLUE BLOODS:
10
4p YOUR WORLD W/NEIL CAVUTO:
485		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
231		 DEADLINE:WHITE HOUSE:
220		 CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW, THE:
18		 BLUE BLOODS:
25
5p FIVE, THE:
747		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
309		 — SPICER & CO:
42		 NEWSNATION: RUSH HOUR:
18
6p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
876		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
494		 DECISION 2022:
355		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
15
7p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
1285		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
749		 DECISION 2022:
536		 ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT:
78		 DECISION DESK 2022:
33
8p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
1781		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
960		 DECISION 2022:
736		 VOTE FOR AMERICA 2022:
117		 DECISION DESK 2022:
32
9p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
1978		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1120		 DECISION 2022:
798		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
25
10p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
1879		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
1097		 DECISION 2022:
811		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
26
11p FNC DEMOCRACY 22 ELECTION:
1497		 ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA:
850		 DECISION 2022:
785		 — DECISION DESK 2022:
16

As for the three cable news networks overall, here are the total day averages in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.

Total viewers:

CNN: 1.19 million

Fox News: 3.59 million

MSNBC: 1.59 million

25-54 Demo:

CNN: 414,000

Fox News: 768,000

MSNBC: 330,000

Here are the prime time averages — encompassing shows which air from 8-11 p.m. — in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.

Total viewers:

CNN: 2.6 million

Fox News: 7.42 million

MSNBC: 3.21 million

25-54 Demo:

CNN: 1.05 million

Fox News: 1.87 million

MSNBC: 782,000

For more ratings information and analysis go to ShowBuzz Daily.

This story has been updated with final numbers.

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Aidan McLaughlin - Editor in Chief

Aidan McLaughlin is the Editor in Chief of Mediaite. Send tips via email: aidan@mediaite.com. Ask for Signal. Follow him on Twitter: @aidnmclaughlin