Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Repeats in Primetime, Extends Total-Day Winning Streak

Fox News' 'Hannity'
Fox News Channel’s 'Hannity' (Image credit: Fox News)

Fox News Channel took top honors on the primetime chart for the second straight week while maintaining its stranglehold on the total-day ratings chart. 

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers for the week of September 2-8 to lead all cable networks, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. ESPN finished second for the week with 1.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million watchers.

Hallmark Channel was fourth with 677,000 viewers followed by CNN’s 662,000 viewers and HGTV’s 651,000 watchers. USA Network finished seventh with 531,000 viewers, followed by Discovery Channel (504,000 viewers), INSP (498,000), and TBS (459,000).

On the total-day charts, Fox News was number one for the 35th-consecutive week, averaging 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (839,000 viewers), ESPN (725,000), CNN (495,000) and Hallmark Channel (388,000), according to Nielsen. 

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.