Fox News finished September 2026 with 1.717 million total primetime viewers, its first month below the 2 million mark, according to Nielsen big data + panel figures. The decline came in a news cycle slower than August, and all three major cable news networks posted month-to-month losses in both total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo across primetime and total day.

The tightest contest was in the demo. Just 1,000 A25-54 viewers separated CNN (90,000) from MS NOW (79,000) in primetime, nearly erasing CNN's comfortable second-place lead.

Fox News: steep declines on two time horizons

Fox News drew 1.717 million total viewers and 156,000 A25-54 viewers in primetime, plus 1.112 million total viewers and 106,000 demo viewers in total day.

Against August 2026, the network fell 19% in total viewers and 17% in the demo in primetime. Total day dropped 18% in total viewers and 11% in the demo.

The year-over-year picture was worse. Compared with September 2025, Fox News declined 32% in total viewers and 44% in the demo in primetime, and 31% and 40% respectively in total day.

Fox News finished September second among all cable networks in primetime total viewers and third in the demo. It held first place in total day total viewers and second in the demo.

MS NOW: the only network up year over year

MS NOW drew 839,000 total primetime viewers and 544,000 in total day, with 79,000 and 52,000 demo viewers respectively.\n Month over month, the network lost 11% of primetime total viewers and 6% in the demo, and 9% in both metrics in total day. Against September 2025, however, MS NOW grew 4% in primetime total viewers and 14% in the demo, plus 7% and 16% in total day — the only gains recorded by any of the three networks.

MS NOW ranked third among all cable networks in total viewers in both dayparts, and finished 13th in the demo in primetime and 11th in total day.

CNN: monthly losses, mixed annual picture

CNN posted 539,000 total primetime viewers and 90,000 demo viewers, with 373,000 and 53,000 in total day.

The network fell 14% in total viewers and 17% in the demo month over month in primetime, and 15% and 20% respectively in total day. Versus September 2025, CNN slid 1% in primetime total viewers but grew 3% in the demo; total day fell 7% in total viewers and 15% in the demo.

CNN placed fifth in primetime and fourth in total day among all cable networks in total viewers, and 11th and 10th respectively in the demo.

Smaller networks and top programming

NewsNation averaged 96,000 total primetime viewers and 12,000 demo viewers, with Cuomo its top show at 167,000 and 20,000. On Fox Business, Kudlow led with 244,000 total viewers and 13,000 in the demo. CNBC's top program was Fast Money Halftime Report with 237,000 total viewers and 56,000 in the demo. Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight drew 305,000 total viewers and 19,000 demo viewers.

Fox News dominated the program rankings. The Five was the most-watched show in cable news with 2.794 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET and led the demo with 273,000. Jesse Watters Primetime followed with 2.408 million, then Gutfeld! (2.123 million), Hannity (2.055 million), Special Report with Bret Baier (2.040 million) and The Ingraham Angle (1.919 million).

The Rachel Maddow Show, airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET, was MS NOW's top program with 1.786 million total viewers and 186,000 in the demo — seventh overall in total viewers and fifth in the demo. CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip led CNN with 610,000 total viewers and 121,000 in the demo.

Fox News programs took 14 of the top 15 spots among total viewers. The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell (1.110 million) was the only other entry, alongside Fox News @ Night at 1.095 million.

For advertisers, the demo rankings mirrored the pattern: The Five (273,000), Gutfeld! (214,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (212,000) and Hannity (204,000) held the top four positions, with Maddow the only non-Fox entry in the top ten.

With all three networks losing audience in a slow news month and MS NOW the only player growing year over year, October's ratings will show whether Fox News's sub-2-million primetime figure is a seasonal dip or the start of a longer slide.