Weekly Cable Ratings: ESPN Returns to Top Spot in Primetime

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Fox Networks stays hot on total day chart

Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles on 'Monday Night Football'
The Washington Commanders bested the Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ Nov. 14. (Image credit: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

With the Midterm elections now over, ESPN has replaced Fox News at the top of the primetime charts.  

The sports network averaged 3.5 million viewers in primetime during the week of November 11 to November 20 for its third win in the last four weeks, according to Nielsen. Fox News finished in second place with 2.3 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel and MSNBC, which tied for third at 1.3 million viewers. CNN and Paramount Network tied for fifth with 877,000 watchers.

History (790,000 viewers), TLC (750,000), TBS (730,000) and Food Network (692,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched shows in primetime.

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 46th consecutive week with 1.5 million viewers, followed by ESPN (1 million viewers), MSNBC (818,000), Hallmark Channel (747,000) and CNN (625,000), according to Nielsen.■  

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.