Weekly Cable Ratings: TBS, ESPN Remain at the Top of Primetime Ratings Chart

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Fox News holds off sports-driven nets on a total day basis

Jorge Soler #12 of the Atlanta Braves hits a double during the eighth inning of game six of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on Oct. 23, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jorge Soler #12 of the Atlanta Braves hits a double during the eighth inning of game six of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on Oct. 23, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Image credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Live sports programming continued to influence the primetime ratings charts as baseball-infused TBS and football-driven ESPN came out on top for the second week in a row.

TBS finished first among all cable networks during the week of Oct. 18 to Oct. 24, averaging 3.1 million viewers on the strength of its coverage of baseball’s National League Championship Series. TBS’ Oct. 23 Los Angeles Dodgers-Atlanta Braves Game 6 telecast averaged nearly 7 million viewers, according to Nielsen. 

ESPN finished second for the week with 3 million viewers, led by its Oct. 18 Buffalo Bills-Tennessee Titans Monday Night Football telecast, which drew 12.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

National sports network FS1 pulled up to fourth place on the primetime charts after drawing 5.8 million viewers for its coverage of Game 6 of the Boston Red Sox-Houston Astros American League Championship Series on Oct. 22, said Nielsen.

Fox News finished third for the week with 2.3 million viewers, with MSNBC finishing fifth with 1.2 million viewers.

Hallmark Channel (1.1 million viewers), TNT (926,000), HGTV (887,000), TLC (786,000) and INSP (748,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks for the week.

Fox News continued its impressive run atop the total day charts, winning for the 36th consecutive week. ESPN (960,000 viewers), TBS (831,000), MSNBC (696,000) and the Hallmark Channel (605,000) finished behind the Fox News, 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.