Fox News Dominates Q2 Ratings, Outshining Major Broadcast Rivals

In a whirlwind second quarter of 2025, Fox News Channel became the leading source for information and analysis during historic breaking news events that transfixed the nation. The network not only maintained its grip on cable news but also surged ahead of major broadcast rivals like ABC and NBC among viewers, particularly during the month of June.

Fox News Channel’s comprehensive coverage of significant stories, including the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, captivated audiences, outpacing ABC, NBC, and CBS. The network also led in viewership during major headlines, including the passing of Pope Francis and the Army’s 250th birthday parade during this jam-packed quarter.

Throughout the second quarter, Fox News averaged approximately 1.6 million total day viewers, thereby outstripping competitors like MSNBC, which garnered 596,000 viewers, and CNN, which attracted only 406,000. This quarter marks the 17th consecutive period that Fox News has claimed the top spot among cable networks in total day viewership.

Primetime Leadership

Come primetime, Fox News maintained its dominant position with an impressive average audience of 2.6 million viewers. In contrast, TNT followed with 1.7 million, while MSNBC attracted just one million viewers. CNN performed poorly, averaging only 538,000, failing to rank among the top five cable networks. This marks the sixth straight quarter that Fox News ranked as the number one network among both total day and primetime viewers.

A Key Demographic Advantage

Fox News also excelled in the highly sought-after demographic of adults aged 25-54. During total day viewership, the network averaged 202,000 viewers. CNN and MSNBC lagged significantly, drawing in merely 71,000 and 57,000 respectively. This trend persisted into primetime as well, where Fox News averaged 304,000 viewers in the key demo, compared to CNN’s 105,000 and MSNBC’s 91,000.

Historic Second Quarter Ratings

This quarter became notable as the second highest-rated second quarter in the history of Fox News among weekday total day viewers, trailing only the record-breaking ratings from 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Fox News commands over half of the cable news audience, capturing 62% of total day viewers and 63% in primetime.