Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Holds Off ESPN for Primetime Win

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News, sports networks dominate primetime rankings

(Image credit: Fox News Channel)

Fox News held off a charge by sports-infused ESPN to take top primetime ratings honors, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 3.8 million viewers during the week of Sept. 14 to Sept. 20, topping ESPN’s 3.5 million watchers, said Nielsen. MSNBC finished third with 2 million viewers, followed by CNN (1.5 million viewers) and TNT (1.4 million).

HGTV (1.2 million viewers), TLC and NFL Network (1 million), Hallmark Channel (975,000), and TBS (885,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks for the week.

Fox News was the most watched cable network on a 24-hour basis for a 37th consecutive week, followed by MSNBC, ESPN, CNN, and HGTV. 

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.