Fox News Ends February on High Ratings Note

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Fox News ended the month of February in impressive ratings fashion, blowing away the competition in the cable weekly primetime and total day rating races.

Fox News averaged 3.1 million viewers during the week of Feb. 24 to March 1, easily besting second place MSNBC, which averaged 1.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen. ESPN and CNN tied for third with 1.1 million viewers, while A&E, HGTV, History, and TLC finished in a tie for fifth place with 1 million viewers.

Discovery Channel (988,000 viewers) and TBS (971,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched cable networks in primetime during the week, said Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 1.7 million viewers on a 24-hour basis, topping MSNBC, CNN, HGTV and A&E Network in the category, according to Nielsen. The network has finished in first place every week in 2020 thus far on the total day chart, said 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.