Fox News Channel has kicked off 2025 with record-breaking viewership, achieving the largest audience for the first two months of a year in cable news history.
The network dominated the competition, averaging nearly two million total day viewers—far surpassing all other cable channels. In contrast, MSNBC, the second most-watched network, managed an average of only 638,000 viewers, while CNN trailed with 433,000.
Fox News’ lead was so substantial that it outperformed MSNBC and CNN combined. February was particularly historic for the network, marking its most-watched February ever and securing its third-highest share of the cable news audience since its launch in 1996.
No other network crossed the one-million viewer threshold, cementing Fox News’ continued dominance in the cable news landscape.
Fox News continued its dominance during primetime hours from 8-11 p.m. ET, surpassing all other cable networks by a significant margin.
“Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity,” and “Gutfeld!” collectively averaged 3.1 million total viewers, leaving the second-place network, ESPN, far behind at 1.4 million.
MSNBC managed an average of 1.1 million viewers, while CNN struggled with just 553,000. Even when combined, the two liberal networks failed to match Fox News’ primetime audience.
Following a commanding performance throughout February, Fox News secured an extraordinary milestone—the top 838 most-watched cable news telecasts since Election Day all aired on the network.
One standout moment was Sean Hannity’s exclusive February 18 interview with Elon Musk and former President Trump, which attracted 5.4 million viewers, making it the second-highest-rated cable telecast of the month.
Meanwhile, “The Five”—featuring Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro, and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr.—averaged an impressive 4.7 million viewers, securing its position as the No. 1 show in all cable news.
Fox News’ lineup remained dominant across the board. “The Ingraham Angle” pulled in 3.5 million viewers, solidifying Laura Ingraham’s status as the highest-rated woman in cable news. “Jesse Watters Primetime” averaged 4.2 million total viewers, while “Hannity” brought in 3.6 million.
“Gutfeld!” achieved its best month ever, attracting 3.4 million viewers and further cementing Fox News’ unparalleled success in cable news ratings.
