Fox News continues to lead the way across cable news for the second quarter of 2025, with The Five and Jesse Watters Primetime being the network’s big winners.
According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen ratings, Fox News averaged 2.633 million total primetime viewers and 1.632 million total day viewers for the period from April to June. This was down 13% in total viewers during primetime compared to Q1 and down 15% in total day. However, compared to the same quarter last year, it was up 25% in both primetime and total day.
The Five, led by Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, and alternating hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., was Fox News’ most-watched program for the second quarter, averaging 3.851 million total viewers in its 5 pm ET slot. Watters’ own primetime show was the network’s second-highest-rated program, averaging 3.431 million viewers for the second quarter.
Fox News dominated the Top 15 rated programs among total viewers for the second quarter, with Gutfeld! and Hannity also averaging more than 3 million viewers. The only non-Fox News show to make it into the Top 15 was MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, which averaged 2.039 million total viewers; Maddow returned to hosting Mondays only on May 5.
MSNBC was also the only news network not to lose viewers in total day compared to the first quarter. However, with Maddow no longer hosting five nights a week, the network’s primetime numbers dipped.
Over on CNN, Erin Burnett OutFront averaged 610,000 total viewers, making it the network’s most-watched program for the second quarter. Meanwhile, Cuomo was NewsNation’s top-rated show with 170,000 total viewers; NewsNation also recorded a 24% gain in primetime viewership compared to the same quarter last year.
Rob Schmitt Tonight was the highest-rated show for Newsmax with 412,000 total viewers, while CNBC’s Squawk on the Street brought in 220,000 total viewers, making it the network’s top show.
Check out the Top 15 highest-rated cable news shows below.
- The Five – Fox News ( 3,851,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime – Fox News -( 3,431,000)
- Gutfeld! – Fox News – (3,009,000)
- Hannity – Fox News – (3,006,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier – Fox News – (2,888,000)
- The Ingraham Angle – Fox News – (2,749,000)
- The Will Cain Show – Fox News – (2,168,000)
- Outnumbered – Fox News – (2,045,000)
- The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC – (2,039,000)
- The Faulkner Focus – Fox News – ( 1,945,000)
- America’s Newsroom – Fox News – (1,941,000)
- America Reports – Fox News – (1,938,000)
- The Story with Martha MacCallum – Fox News – (1,913,00)
- Fox News at Night – Fox News – (1,682,000)
- Fox and Friends – Fox – (1,411,000)
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