Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Halts ESPN’s Primetime Ratings Run

By
published

News network also tops total-day chart

The Five
Fox News Channel's 'The Five' (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News Channel has topped the weekly cable primetime chart for the first time in 2022, stopping ESPN’s early year run, according to Nielsen.

The news network averaged 2.4 million viewers during the week of January 17 to January 24 to end ESPN’s streak at three weeks, said Nielsen. ESPN finished second with 1.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC and HGTV, which tied with 1.1 million viewers.

Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 952,000 viewers, followed by TLC (904,000 viewers), INSP (837,000), History (767,000), Discovery Channel (765,000) and Food Network (731,000). 

Fox News extended its winning streak on the total day charts to three weeks, averaging 1.5 million viewers. ESPN finished second with 699,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC (670,000), HGTV (649,000) and Hallmark Channel (537,000), 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.