TV Ratings: Why Fox News Suffered Its Largest Pre-Election Month Drop in the Past Decade

In the “two things can be true” category: Fox News still holds sizable ratings leads in cable news over CNN and MS NOW. It also suffered the largest year-to-year ratings drop in the month before an election in the past 10 years.

Nielsen ratings for October show Fox News averaging 1.68 million viewers in primetime and 1.01 million for the full day. Both are comfortably ahead of MS NOW (925,000 primetime, 588,000 full day) and CNN (598,000, 402,000). In the key news demographic of adults 25-54, things are a bit closer, but Fox’s totals of 145,000 in primetime and 98,000 for the total day still lead. CNN had 107,000 in the demo in primetime and 60,000 for the full day to 95,000 and 62,000 for MS NOW.

Fox also had the five most watched cable news shows, led by The Five at 2.7 million daily viewers.

Fox News is also touting its online strength, citing 3.8 billion YouTube views for 2026 so far (as measured by social media analytics firm Emplifi) to 2.96 billion for MS NOW and 2.36 billion for CNN.

As for the second true thing: In the past decade, none of the three biggest cable news outlets have suffered a decline in the month before a national election as big as Fox News did this year.

Compared to October 2025, Fox News slipped by 28 percent in primetime viewers and 27 percent for the full day. The networks’ adults 25-54 audience fell by more than 30 percent. MS NOW and CNN both had double digit percentage gains in primetime vs. a year earlier; MS NOW also did so for the full day, while CNN had a more modest 3 percent bump.

Pundits and media analysts have suggested that President Trump’s low approval ratings and an election cycle that seems to favor Democrats may have contributed to the drop at Fox News. Nielsen data doesn’t explain why people watch or don’t watch certain programs or networks, obviously. But the change is a stark one.

The Hollywood Reporter analyzed October cable news ratings for the past six national election cycles — presidential contests in 2016, 2020 and 2024 and midterms in 2018, 2022 and 2026 — and compared each to the previous October (2015, 2017, etc.). Unsurprisingly, all three networks showed huge year-to-year gains in October 2016 and October 2020. Fox improved substantially in October 2024 as well, with total day ratings up about 20 percent vs. October 2023. MS NOW was flat and CNN declined in October 2024 total day ratings (though both grew in primetime).

Midterm years are more of a mixed bag: Before this year, biggest improvement was a 25 percent year-to-year boost in primetime viewers for Fox in October 2018, and the steepest fall was a 20 percent drop in primetime adults 25-54 for MSNBC (MS NOW’s predecessor) in 2022.

October 2026 set new marks for the biggest swing in both directions. Fox News’ declines have no recent precedent in the month prior to an election. On the other end, CNN had 40 percent growth in its primetime adults 25-54 audience vs. a year ago, and both of MS NOW’s 25-54 averages grew (30 percent in primetime, 38 percent in total day).

Month-to-month numbers weren’t as drastic for any outlet, but Fox News was down a bit from September (off 2.5 percent in primetime and 1 percent all day) and MS NOW (up 10 percent in primtime, 8 percent all day) and CNN (up 11 percent in primetime, 8 percent for the full day) grew.

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“I watch two shows - mostly - on FNC. Gutfeld and the Five; however, only when Gutfeld is on.
There are plenty of pro Trump personnel at FNC - Gutfeld, Tyrus, the fast talking Emily, Kelly Ann Conway, Dana Perino, Kennedy, the ex-NYC detective, and others.”

Same exact. Shillue does a good job. Tyrus and Kat cannot host. They stopped ganging up on Shillue middle school level.

“Last night on Ingraham’s show, they show President Trump’s rally.”

Goid

FOXNews is turning into “young women in their late twenties and old men”. It’s NOT a good look and it’s morphing into ‘bimbos emoting’ and ‘men trying to impress them’. This needs to be ABOUT THE VIEWERS.

We’re in the midterms of a lifetime and morning is one puff piece after another. Then it appears to save money FOX uses the same people over and over for different shows - recycled to do many jobs - that doesn’t work. A little yes, but not at the level it’s being done.

The old FOXNews was young conservative men - - and women who could match them. The men grew old. Most are still great. Some not so much. Bret (who I’ve always liked) acts like he’s getting DNC ‘news packets’ that push his ‘lets all get along and give both sides’. Well that’s great for him but that gives the viewers 6 ALL LIBERAL ALL THE TIME networks and half of FOX. And I suspect MSNOW and CNN are NOT getting fair and balanced news packets. Yes, Bret can still be fair and unafraid but our side should NOT be carrying all the same liberal stories. Sometimes our interest overlap but often they don’t. A progressive ‘flash’ might be Trump has swollen ankles - a story that ranks low with conservatives who know that happens with 80 year olds. Hire a few focus groups - - see if FOXNews has become out of touch with their base.

The NEPO thing doesn’t work either. NEPO kids are prep school liberals - even if they try to talk the conservative talk. How can anyone who’s had it all handed to them on a silver platter expect to understand us?

Is Jesse the only man under 60? FOX still has the smartest women, (and the smartest men) but the young ones aren’t livening up to that original standard. It’s time to hire men in their twenties for intellect, passions for conservative values, and good looks that make the old men realize it’s time to get real. If HR doesn’t get it together, in twenty years FOX will be run by middle aged women who ‘emote’ more than think...(heavy on feelings and light on facts). Probably won’t be conservative either. Most of us have been fans and supporters of FOXNews forever and still care about our team - but let’s be more careful about fresh new blood hires. Hire like you did when FOX started...

Maybe they should consider that Fox is now the all el-sayed all the time network.Also, almost ALL stock pictures of democrats look like FOXNews got them from the DNC PR Department. Up until recently ALL pictures of Ilhan Omar made her look like a sweet teenager. While half the stock pictures of Trump were like the ones on MSNOW... insulting.
DO ANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR FOXNEWS WATCH THE SHOWS? EVER?

Too many stock pictures are a slap in the face to conservative. And the words under the 'action'? Often worse. More than half the American people voted FOR President Trump. I'd be surprised if more than 20% of FOXNews employees voted for Trump. What's with that?

Anyone think CNN or MSNOW employees are 80% for Trump? Gimmee a break. And no, I'm not saying FOX should lie about democrats like they lie about us - and there's a lot to be said for 'fair' and 'balanced' ... but FOX needs to be fair to their 'base' too. 'Dance with the one that brung ya' a few times a night... at least.

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