Fox News Maintains Cable News Dominance with 68th Consecutive Month of Lead

Nielsen Media Research data confirms what the numbers already suggested. Fox News Channel held the top spot in cable news viewership during October. The network averaged 1.1 million total day viewers from Monday through Sunday. That figure represents more than 50% of the entire cable news audience share. It also exceeds the combined audiences of MS NOW and CNN.

MS NOW settled for second place with 588,000 average total day viewers. CNN lagged behind, averaging just 402,000. The gap is stark. Fox News isn't just winning; it is dominating. This October performance marks the 68th consecutive month that Fox News Channel has led both daytime and prime-time viewership against these rivals.

Prime time tells a similar story. Fox News averaged 1.7 million total viewers in that slot. MS NOW followed with 925,000. CNN trailed at 598,000. Individual shows drove much of this success. "The Five" remained the most-watched program across all cable news, drawing 2.7 million total viewers. "Jesse Watters Primetime" kept its streak alive as the top primetime show, pulling in 2.3 million viewers.

"Special Report with Bret Baier," "Gutfeld!" and "The Ingraham Angle" completed the top five list. These programs consistently outperform their competitors. The lead extends beyond linear television, too. Fox News has made significant inroads in digital media. Throughout 2026, the brand collected over 3.8 billion views on YouTube. Emplifi data confirms this makes it the most-watched news brand on the platform.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn reported this story for Fox News Digital. He serves as a media reporter. Readers can send story tips to [email protected] or reach him on Twitter at @JosephWulfsohn.