The election cycle played big for Fox News Channel with the Nielsens.
Topped by Nov. 6 Election Night coverage, Fox News Channel ran its skein atop ad-supported cable in primetime and total-day delivery to four consecutive weeks, marking the first time in its 16-year history it achieved that distinction.
FNC -- scoring its best ever primetime performance on Nov. 6 when it averaged 11.5 million viewers from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., beating its 2008 Election Night tally by 13% -- averaged 3.55 million viewers in primetime, and 1.78 million total-day watchers during the week of Nov. 5-11.
FNC pulled in nearly 1.03 million adults 25 to 54 in primetime last week, second only to the usual football-fueled fall leader ESPN’s 1.54 million.
The last time FNC performed this well with the so-called news demo in primetime was during 2008 Presidential Election (11/3/08) with 1.14 million of those watchers. Measured on a total-day basis averaged 527,000 adults 25 to 54, the most for FNC since Election Week four years ago.
CNN and MSNBC also rode the strength of election news last week, when the former stood fourth in primetime with1.96 million viewers and eighth in the 24-hour measure with 1.036 million. MSNBC ranked fifth and seventh in primetime and total day, respectively, with 1.83 million and 1.037 million watchers.
