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

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NBA All-Star Game coverage propels network to second-place finish

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Eastern Conference All-Stars dunks the ball against the Western Conference All-Stars in the fourth quarter during the 2024 NBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 18, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks the ball during the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. (Image credit: Getty Images)

TNT’s strong ratings performance for its NBA All-Star Game coverage wasn’t enough to knock Fox News Channel out of first place in primetime last week.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for the week of February 12-18 to top the cable primetime ratings chart for the fifth straight week, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. 

TNT, which drew more than 4 million viewers for its live coverage of the February 18 NBA All-Star Game, averaged 1.6 million viewers to finish in second place, followed by MSNBC with 1.4 million viewers and ESPN with 861,000 watchers. 

HGTV was fifth with 791,000 viewers, followed by TBS (735,000 viewers), History (718,000), CNN (677,000), Hallmark Channel (613,000), and INSP (611,000). 

Fox News topped the total-day chart for the sixth straight week with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (949,000), CNN (549,000), ESPN (460,000) and TNT (434,000), 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.