Fox News viewership dominates competition during May, CNN has worst month since 1991 in key demographic

Fox News Channel finished May as the highest-rated cable news network as CNN hit another historic low during the month of former President Trump’s New York criminal trial.

Fox News swept CNN and MSNBC in all categories and posted double-digit viewership increases compared to last year, while the competition managed to lose younger viewership despite the intense news cycle.

Fox News averaged 1.3 million total day viewers to finish as the No. 1 network across all of cable during May. MSNBC averaged 816,000 total viewers and CNN settled for 468,000 as their combined average audiences fell short of topping Fox News. 

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Fox News Channel hosts Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld. (Fox News)

Fox News averaged over two million primetime viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET compared to 1.2 million for MSNBC and only 518,000 for CNN. 

While CNN’s total audience is much smaller than its competitors, the network’s primetime lineup of "Anderson Cooper 360," "The Source with Kaitlan Collins," and "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip" is particularly struggling in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54.

CNN averaged only 96,000 nightly demo viewers during May to finish behind 18 other basic cable options in the key demo, with a smaller audience than A&E, Adult Swim, Comedy Central, HGTV, Food Network, and Bravo. It was CNN’s smallest primetime audience in the key demo since 1991. 

By comparison, Fox News programs "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," and "Gutfeld!" averaged 199,000 demo viewers to crush CNN’s audience by over 100,000 people between the ages 25-54. Fox News finished with a +37% increase compared to last year while CNN shed 14% of its audience over the same period. 

Along the way, Fox News aired nearly every cable news telecast in the top 100, occupying the top 97 shows in the demo and 94 shows among total viewers. Not a single CNN program cracked either list.

"The Five" averaged 3.1 million viewers to finish May as the most-watched program on cable news. 

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"The Five" averaged 3.1 million viewers to finish May as the most-watched program on cable news.  (FOX News Media)

"Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," "Gutfeld!," "The Ingraham Angle," "Special Report with Bret Baier," and "Outnumbered" all also defeated anything MSNBC or CNN had to offer as Fox News was home to the seven most-watched cable news programs. 

"Gutfeld!" led the way among the key demo, averaging 278,000 viewers from the critical category as 13 Fox News programs outdrew anything on MSNBC or CNN.  

"FOX & Friends First," "FOX & Friends," "America’s Newsroom" with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino, "The Faulkner Focus," "Outnumbered," "The Story with Martha MacCallum," "Your World with Neil Cavuto," and "FOX News @ Night" with anchor Trace Gallagher also had strong months to help keep Fox News on top of the cable news landscape. 

Fox News’ dominance continued on the weekends during May as the network beat CNN and MSNBC in total day and primetime on Saturdays and Sundays, topping the competition every weekend hour among total viewers.

"Life, Liberty & Levin" was the most-watched Saturday show with 1.4 million viewers, while "Sunday Morning Futures" averaged 1.4 million viewers to take the Sunday crown. 

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All data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.