Fox News and MSNBC Are the Big Winners of a Busy News Cycle

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of Jan. 6, 2025.

January has proven to be a busy news month so far, especially outside the political arena. The first full week of 2025 included former President Jimmy Carter‘s state funeral and the tragic Los Angeles wildfires. Both news events captivated the nation and brought viewers to the news networks—most notably Fox News and MSNBC as they recorded double-digit growth this past week.

As for CNN, despite the network’s extensive coverage of the wildfires—including the presence of marquee anchors, Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett in the Southern California area—only saw growth during total day among total viewers.

The network that was primarily known for its reliability during breaking news events saw its total viewer audience decline in primetime in both total viewers and the demo. But in a bright spot, CNN did finish in second place ahead of MSNBC among A25-54 viewers across both dayparts.

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Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of Jan. 6 saw FNC average 2.546 million total viewers and 303,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up by +47% in the former category and +53% in the latter relative to the week prior.

Fox News averaged 1.797 million total viewers and 227,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing. That translates to gains of +34% and +33%, respectively.

Among all basic cable networks, Fox News finished in second place in total primetime viewers and rose one spot from the No. 3 to No. 2 position in the demo. In total day, it reclaimed its first position in total viewers and finished in second place in the demo.

MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 721,000 total viewers and 55,000 A25-54 viewers for respective gains of +62% and +45% in the demo compared to the week prior. 

During the total day, MSNBC averaged 540,000 total viewers and 41,000 A25-54 viewers. That translates to week-to-week gains of +38% in the former category and +11% in the latter relative to the previous week.

Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC jumped from eighth to third place in total primetime viewers and climbed from No. 37 to No. 31 in the primetime demo. During total day, the network moved from fifth to third in total viewers and went from No. 30 to No. 27 in the total day demo. 

CNN averaged 501,000 total viewers and 110,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for respective declines of -3% and -13% compared to the previous week.

In total day, the network saw 455,000 total viewers and 80,000 A25-54 viewers. That’s a mixed bag performance-wise, as CNN ticked upwards by +15% in the former category, but dipped -1% in the latter.