Fox News averaged 1.666 million total primetime viewers and 149,000 Adults 25-54 viewers the week of September 21, 2026, according to Nielsen big data + panel figures — but MS NOW posted the biggest demo surge, up 11% week to week in primetime.

All three major cable news networks — Fox News, MS NOW and CNN — grew in both total viewers and the A25-54 demo during primetime compared with the week beginning September 14. Fox News rose 3% in total viewers and 1% in the demo. CNN climbed 8% in total viewers and 11% in the demo. Total day told a different story for the market leader: Fox News dropped 6% in the demo to 98,000 viewers, falling below the 100,000 mark, while MS NOW and CNN grew in both measured categories.

CNN wrestled second place in the total day demo back from MS NOW, overtaking the Versant-owned network by just 1,000 A25-54 viewers, 56,000 to 55,000. In primetime, CNN edged MS NOW in the demo as well, 98,000 to 90,000, despite trailing it in total viewers, 598,000 to 930,000.

Rankings across basic cable. Fox News held second place in total primetime viewership among all basic cable networks and moved from No. 4 to No. 3 in demo viewership. During total day, it stayed first in total viewers with 1.065 million and second in the demo. MS NOW remained third in total primetime viewers, tied FX for 11th in the primetime demo, ranked third in total day total viewers with 580,000 and finished eighth in the total day demo. CNN reclaimed fourth place in primetime total viewers, tied Adult Swim for ninth in the primetime demo, held No. 4 in total day total viewers and placed seventh in the total day demo.

The year-over-year picture diverges sharply. Fox News was down 32% in primetime total viewers and 40% in the demo versus the same week a year ago, and down 30% and 37% respectively in total day. MS NOW moved in the opposite direction: up 9% in primetime total viewers, up 27% in the primetime demo, and up 13% and 15% in total day. CNN gained 11% in primetime total viewers and 14% in the demo year over year, though total day was mixed — up 2% in total viewers, down 5% in the demo.

Programming. Fox News took 12 of the 15 spots among the week's most-watched cable news shows. The Five led in both measures, drawing 2.642 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET and 270,000 demo viewers. MS NOW's Monday 9 p.m. ET airing of The Rachel Maddow Show drew 1.847 million total viewers at No. 6 and averaged 202,000 demo viewers — a surprising second place in the demo. The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, took No. 14 with 1.216 million total viewers, and the 4 p.m. ET edition of Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace held No. 15 with 1.166 million. CNN's sole entry was CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, airing five nights a week at 10 p.m. ET, in 14th place with 116,000 demo viewers. MS NOW's weeknight 7 p.m. ET program, The Weeknight, finished 15th in the demo with 112,000 viewers.

With MS NOW and CNN both building audience year over year while Fox News absorbs double-digit declines against its 2025 benchmarks, the demo race — where CNN now leads MS NOW by a razor-thin margin — looks set to stay tight through the fall.