Fox News remained the most-watched cable news network through 2026, averaging roughly 1.6 to 2.9 million primetime viewers depending on the month, while MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and CNN traded second and third place all year. Both CNN and MS NOW posted a sharp week-over-week ratings drop in early September 2026 before rebounding strongly just one week later.
US News Channel Ratings 2026 – Introduction
US News Channel Ratings in 2026 tell the story of an industry that is shrinking overall while individual networks fight hard over a smaller and smaller share of a still-valuable audience. Fox News has now topped cable news primetime viewership for nearly a hundred straight quarters, and it held that lead throughout 2026 even as its own audience slipped compared to the newsier stretches of 2025. Behind Fox, MS NOW and CNN spent the year locked in a genuinely close, month-to-month battle for second place, one that swung sharply depending on the news cycle, the calendar, and which specific week or month gets measured.
That volatility is the real story behind the headline numbers. A single slow news week can send a network’s ratings down double digits, only for the next big story to send them right back up just as fast. This report walks through the full 2026 ratings picture, quarter by quarter and week by week, including a close look at the CNN and MS NOW ratings swings that made headlines in September, plus how the big three cable networks compare to broadcast evening news and the smaller, fast-growing conservative cable outlets challenging them from the right.
US NEWS CHANNEL RATINGS 2026 — QUICK SNAPSHOT
Fox News Primetime (2026 range) ....... 1.6M-2.9M viewers
MS NOW Primetime (2026 range) ......... 0.69M-1.1M viewers
CNN Primetime (2026 range) ............ 0.44M-0.88M viewers
Fox News Consecutive Quarters at #1 ... 97+
ABC World News Tonight (broadcast #1) . 8.2M-8.6M viewers
Cable's Share of Total TV Viewing ..... 20.2% (Dec. 2025)
Interesting Facts About US News Channel Ratings 2026
| Fact | Data Point |
|---|---|
| #1 Cable News Network | Fox News, 97th straight quarter atop primetime |
| Fox News Primetime Q1 2026 | 2.6 million viewers |
| MS NOW Primetime Q1 2026 | 1.1 million viewers |
| CNN Primetime Q1 2026 | 797,000 viewers |
| #1 Broadcast Evening Newscast | ABC World News Tonight, ~8.2-8.6M viewers |
| #1 Cable News Program | The Five (Fox News), 3.3-4.0M viewers |
| Fastest-Growing News Network | NewsNation, up 54%+ in some quarters |
| CNN’s YoY Primetime Change (July) | +32% |
| MS NOW’s Worst Week (Sept 7) | -16% week-over-week |
| Cable TV’s Share of Total Viewing | 20.2%, down from ~40% a decade ago |
US News Channel Ratings data from 2026 shows Fox News maintaining a commanding lead, regularly pulling in more total viewers than MS NOW and CNN combined during both primetime and total-day measurement windows. That dominance held even during Fox’s weaker stretches; the network still out-drew its two main rivals in every single month tracked this year. Behind Fox, the race for second place has been unusually competitive, with MS NOW and CNN trading positions depending on the news cycle, and both networks capable of posting double-digit percentage swings from one week to the next.
The bigger backdrop to all of this is structural. Cable television’s total share of American TV viewing has fallen to roughly 20.2% as of December 2025, down from close to 40% about a decade ago, as streaming and on-demand video pull viewers away from linear television generally. Cable news has held up better than cable entertainment programming specifically, since breaking news remains one of the few things that reliably pulls people back to live television, but even the news networks are competing for a meaningfully smaller overall television audience than they were five or ten years ago.
US Cable News Ratings 2026: Full-Year Quarterly Trends
CABLE NEWS PRIMETIME VIEWERS BY QUARTER 2026 (millions)
Q1 | Fox 2.6 | MS NOW 1.1 | CNN 0.80
Q2 | Fox 2.5 | MS NOW -- | CNN 0.71
Jul| Fox 2.3 | MS NOW -- | CNN 0.66
| Network | Q1 2026 Primetime | Q2 2026 Primetime | July 2026 Primetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 2.6 million | 2.49 million | 2.33 million |
| MS NOW | 1.1 million | 2nd place (total viewers) | Top show: 1.98M (Maddow) |
| CNN | 797,000 | 711,000 | 658,000 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, as reported by Adweek’s TVNewser and Fox News Media
Fox News opened 2026 exactly where it left off in 2025: comfortably in first place, topping cable news for the 20th consecutive quarter in Q1 and commanding close to 60% of the total cable news audience during a news-heavy stretch that included U.S. military action in Venezuela and Iran. That dominance narrowed slightly as the year went on and the news cycle cooled, with Fox’s primetime average sliding from 2.6 million in Q1 down to 2.33 million by July, though it never lost its top spot to either rival at any point during the year.
CNN’s trajectory tells a more complicated story than a simple decline. The network’s primetime audience fell from Q1 to Q2 in raw terms, down from 797,000 to 711,000, but that same Q2 number was actually up 32% compared to the same quarter in 2025, and CNN’s July primetime audience of 658,000 was also up 32% year-over-year. In other words, CNN has genuinely grown its audience compared to a year earlier for much of 2026, even while still trailing both Fox and, in most months, MS NOW in absolute terms.
US Cable News Ratings 2026: Latest Weekly Nielsen Data
WEEKLY PRIMETIME VIEWERS, SEPT 2026 (millions)
Week of Sept 7 | Fox 1.78-1.88 | MS NOW 0.69 | CNN 0.49
Week of Sept 14 | Fox 1.62 | MS NOW 0.91 | CNN (gains)
| Week | Fox News Primetime | MS NOW Primetime | CNN Primetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week of Sept 7, 2026 | 1.78-1.88 million | 689,000 | ~490,000 |
| Week of Sept 14, 2026 | 1.62 million | 914,000 | Posted gains |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, as reported by Adweek’s TVNewser and TVInsider
The most recent weekly data shows just how quickly cable news ratings can swing. The week of September 7, immediately following Labor Day, was a rough one across the board, with all three major cable news networks posting week-over-week declines in both total viewers and the advertiser-prized Adults 25-54 demographic. It’s a pattern industry trackers have noted before: the week after Labor Day typically sees viewership dip as the summer news lull collides with audiences not yet fully back in their fall routines.
That slump reversed almost immediately. By the week of September 14, both MS NOW and CNN posted broad gains, with MS NOW’s rebound especially sharp, up 33% in total viewers and 47% in the demo compared to the week before, strong enough that MS NOW actually beat Fox News in the primetime demo on Thursday, September 17, and overtook CNN in the total-day demo for the week. Fox remained the overall leader in total viewers throughout, but the week-to-week volatility across all three networks underscores how sensitive these ratings are to the news calendar.
CNN and MS NOW Ratings Decline 2026: What the Data Shows
CNN & MS NOW: WEEK-OVER-WEEK VS YEAR-OVER-YEAR (Sept 7 week)
WoW Change YoY Change
CNN Primetime | -5% | -5% (total), -21% (demo)
MS NOW Primetime | -16% | -21% (total), -27% (demo)
| Metric | CNN (Week of Sept 7) | MS NOW (Week of Sept 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Week-over-Week Change (Total Viewers) | -5% | -16% |
| Week-over-Week Change (Demo) | -21% | -38% |
| Year-over-Year Change (Total Viewers) | Down slightly | -21% |
| Year-over-Year Change (Demo) | Down | -27% |
| Following Week (Sept 14) Result | Gains posted | +33% total viewers |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, as reported by Adweek’s TVNewser, TVInsider and Yardbarker
Both networks did see a real, measurable ratings drop in early September 2026, and the numbers back that up. For the week of September 7, MS NOW posted its worst week of the stretch: primetime total viewers fell 16% from the week before and 21% compared to the same week a year earlier, while its demo audience fell even further, down 38% week-over-week and 27% year-over-year. That pushed MS NOW’s primetime demo ranking down to 22nd place among all basic cable networks, tied with GSN and the NFL Network, a striking fall for a network that had spent most of the year comfortably in cable news’ second-place spot. CNN’s decline that same week was more modest in total viewers but still notable in the demo, down 21% year-over-year in that key measurement.
The drop wasn’t permanent, though, and treating a single slow week as a lasting trend would be misleading. Both networks bounced back within seven days: CNN posted gains across the board for the week of September 14, and MS NOW’s rebound was dramatic, up 33% in total viewers and 47% in the demo, enough to beat Fox News outright in the primetime demo on one night that week. Zoomed out across the full year, CNN’s picture looks considerably healthier than a single bad week suggests, with several months in 2026 showing double-digit year-over-year growth, while MS NOW’s year has been more uneven, still generally holding a top-three cable news position but with real week-to-week volatility that the September dip captured in an especially sharp form.
Top-Rated Cable News Programs 2026
TOP CABLE NEWS PROGRAMS BY TOTAL VIEWERS 2026
The Five (Fox) |############################## 3.3-4.0M
Gutfeld! (Fox) |############################ ~3.0M
Rachel Maddow Show (MS NOW) |#################### ~2.0M
Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN) |######## 0.7-0.9M
| Program | Network | Typical Viewership |
|---|---|---|
| The Five | Fox News | 3.3-4.0 million |
| Gutfeld! | Fox News | ~3.0 million |
| The Rachel Maddow Show | MS NOW | ~2.0 million |
| Anderson Cooper 360 | CNN | 0.7-0.9 million |
| Rob Schmitt Tonight | Newsmax | 300,000-380,000 |
| Cuomo | NewsNation | 200,000-310,000 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, as reported monthly by Adweek’s TVNewser
The Five, Fox News’s 5 p.m. roundtable show, was the single most-watched program in all of cable news through most of 2026, regularly drawing more than 3 million total viewers and topping even the network’s own primetime lineup some months. Gutfeld!, Fox’s 10 p.m. late-night-style program, posted an even more unusual achievement: it beat every broadcast late-night show, including “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” in total viewers during multiple quarters, a genuinely rare feat for a cable program going up against broadcast network late-night franchises.
On the other two major networks, The Rachel Maddow Show stayed MS NOW’s top performer all year, consistently drawing close to 2 million viewers on the Mondays it aired, while Anderson Cooper 360 anchored CNN’s lineup as its most-watched program, typically in the 700,000 to 900,000 range depending on the news cycle. Further down the ratings, Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight and NewsNation’s Cuomo each led their respective smaller networks, both posting real year-over-year growth even as their absolute viewership numbers remained a fraction of the big three’s.
US Broadcast Evening News Ratings 2026
BROADCAST EVENING NEWS WEEKLY VIEWERS 2026 (millions)
ABC World News Tonight |############################## 7.6-8.6M
NBC Nightly News |#################### 5.6-6.9M
CBS Evening News |########### 3.6-4.2M
| Newscast | Anchor | 2026 Viewership Range |
|---|---|---|
| ABC World News Tonight | David Muir | 7.6-8.6 million |
| NBC Nightly News | Tom Llamas | 5.6-6.9 million |
| CBS Evening News | Tony Dokoupil | 3.6-4.2 million |
Source: Nielsen Live+Same Day, National TV ratings, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek
Broadcast evening news dwarfs every cable news program in sheer audience size, and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir has led that race for a full decade running, by the largest margin over NBC in 31 years and over CBS in at least 34 years. The show has topped 8 million viewers in multiple weeks throughout 2026 and has been officially ranked the number one program across all of broadcast and cable, excluding live sports, for stretches of 13 consecutive weeks at a time. Access to that audience isn’t guaranteed for every outlet, though; changes to White House press credentialing throughout 2025 and 2026 have directly affected which networks and reporters can cover presidential events in the first place, a shift the White House Press Access Statistics report tracks in detail.
CBS Evening News has been the clearest underperformer of the three, and the network brought in a new anchor, Tony Dokoupil, in the first quarter of 2026 specifically to try closing the gap. Early results were mixed: the newscast’s Q1 average of 4.24 million viewers still trailed NBC by more than 2.5 million and ABC by more than 4 million, though CBS did post occasional weekly gains, including a +4% total-viewer bump in one May week even as its year-over-year comparisons remained the weakest of the three major broadcast newscasts.
Newsmax and NewsNation Ratings Growth 2026
SMALLER NEWS NETWORKS: YoY GROWTH RATES 2026
NewsNation Primetime Total Viewers |######################## +54%
NewsNation Demo (Primetime) |########################### +117%
Newsmax Primetime Total Viewers |############ +26%
| Network | Q1 2026 Primetime Growth (YoY) | Top Show |
|---|---|---|
| NewsNation | +54% total viewers, +117% demo | Cuomo |
| Newsmax | +26% total viewers, +29% demo | Rob Schmitt Tonight |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, as reported by Adweek’s TVNewser
While the big three cable news networks fought over a largely flat overall audience, the smaller conservative-leaning outlets posted the fastest percentage growth in the entire industry. NewsNation’s primetime audience jumped 54% in total viewers and an eye-catching 117% in the adults 25-54 demo during the first quarter of 2026 compared to a year earlier, growth that continued through total-day measurements as well, up 60% in total viewers and 100% in the demo. Newsmax posted steadier, if less explosive, gains, up 26% in total viewers and 29% in the demo during the same quarter, and the network drew a notable spike during major political events; the Republican Midterm Convention Viewership Statistics report shows Newsmax and other smaller cable outlets picking up meaningful audience share during that September convention coverage.
Both networks remain far smaller than Fox, MS NOW, or CNN in absolute terms, with top shows drawing a few hundred thousand viewers rather than millions. But their growth rates matter to advertisers and cable operators watching for where the next wave of cable news audience might land, especially as viewers who feel underserved by the three legacy networks look for alternatives further to the right of Fox News itself.
US News Channel Landscape 2026: Cable’s Long-Term Decline
SHARE OF TOTAL US TV VIEWING BY PLATFORM
Cable TV |########## 20.2% (Dec 2025), down from ~40%
Streaming |############################### Majority share
Broadcast |###################### Remainder
| Metric | 2026 Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cable’s Share of Total TV Viewing | 20.2% (Dec. 2025) | Down from ~40% roughly a decade ago |
| US Cable TV Subscriptions Decline | -34.57% since 2010 | 66.1 million households still subscribe |
| News/Sports Share of Top Cable Content | ~69% | The two genres keeping cable relevant |
Source: Evoca.tv Cable TV Statistics 2026; theworlddata.com TV ratings tracking
The individual quarterly and weekly swings covered throughout this report all play out against a much larger backdrop: cable television, as a category, has lost roughly half its share of total American TV viewing over the past decade. For a full breakdown of exactly how that platform shift has unfolded and what it means for every major cable genre, not just news, the TV Ratings Statistics in US report covers the broader collapse from cable’s historic ~40% viewing share down to roughly 20% today.
News and sports are the two genres that have held up best within that shrinking cable footprint, together accounting for close to 69% of the content still driving meaningful cable viewership. That’s precisely why Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN can still command real advertising revenue and cultural relevance even as the broader cable bundle keeps shrinking around them: breaking news remains one of the few things that reliably pulls a live audience back to linear television, a dynamic that shows no sign of reversing heading into 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions About US News Channel Ratings 2026
Which cable news network has the highest ratings in 2026?
Fox News remains the highest-rated cable news network in 2026, topping primetime viewership for the 97th consecutive quarter and regularly drawing more viewers than MS NOW and CNN combined.
Have CNN and MS NOW’s ratings dropped in 2026?
Both networks saw a sharp, real decline during the week of September 7, 2026, with MS NOW down 16% in total viewers week-over-week and CNN down in its demo audience year-over-year. However, both networks rebounded strongly the very next week, and CNN posted double-digit year-over-year growth in several other months of 2026.
What is the most-watched cable news program in 2026?
The Five on Fox News is the most-watched cable news program in 2026, typically drawing between 3.3 and 4.0 million total viewers.
What is the most-watched broadcast evening newscast?
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir is the most-watched broadcast evening newscast, drawing between 7.6 and 8.6 million viewers weekly and leading the ratings race for a full decade.
Is MSNBC still called MSNBC in 2026?
No. MSNBC rebranded as MS NOW and now operates as a separate company from NBCUniversal following a corporate spinoff.
Which news network grew the fastest in 2026?
NewsNation posted the fastest percentage growth of any major news network in early 2026, up 54% in total viewers and 117% in the adults 25-54 demo compared to the same period in 2025.
How many viewers watched the 2026 State of the Union address?
An estimated 32.6 million people watched President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address across 15 broadcast and cable networks, down 11% from the prior year’s address.
Why do cable news ratings swing so much week to week?
Cable news ratings are highly sensitive to the news cycle. Slow weeks, like the one following Labor Day in September 2026, can produce double-digit ratings drops that reverse just as sharply once a major story breaks.
Is cable news declining overall?
Cable television as a whole has fallen to roughly 20.2% of total US TV viewing, down from around 40% a decade ago, though news and sports programming has held up better than entertainment programming within that shrinking cable audience.
How does CNN’s ownership situation affect its ratings in 2026?
CNN has faced ongoing uncertainty tied to Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable networks, a deal that would bring CNN under new corporate ownership, though the network’s day-to-day ratings performance has not shown a consistent pattern tied to that uncertainty.
What percentage of the cable news audience does Fox News command?
Fox News commanded close to 60% of the total cable news audience during the first quarter of 2026, a share that fluctuated over the rest of the year but never dropped below its two main competitors combined.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.