Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News, MSNBC Rule Ratings Charts

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ESPN plates third place primetime finish with 'Home Run Derby'

ESPN's 'Home Run Derby'
(Image credit: ESPN)

Fox News and MSNBC continue to sizzle on the ratings front, taking the top two spots on both the primetime and total day charts last week.

Fox News was the most watched cable network in primetime for the week of July 18 to July 24 with 2.2 million viewers, its eighth-straight weekly chart win, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second for the second consecutive week with 1.6 million viewers. 

ESPN, propelled by the more than 6 million viewers that tuned into its July 19 Home Run Derby contest, finished third with 1.1 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 1 million watchers.

CNN was fifth with 998,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (919,000 viewers), TLC (890,000), TBS (814,000), INSP (764,000) and USA Network (736,000), said Nielsen.

Fox News ran its win streak on a 24-hour basis to 28 weeks with an average of 1.4 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (849,000 viewers), CNN (579,000), Hallmark Channel (576,000) and HGTV (520,000), reported 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.