Full Breakdown
January 2026 Cable News Ratings: A Competitive Landscape
2/4/2026, 3:12:51 PM
Overview of Cable News Performance
In January 2026, all three major cable news networks—Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN—experienced growth in viewership compared to December 2025. This increase was attributed to a dynamic news cycle, which included military actions in Venezuela and ongoing unrest in Minnesota related to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Both Fox News and CNN reported double-digit growth in their audience metrics.
Detailed Viewership Statistics
Fox News led the ratings with an average of 2.046 million total viewers during primetime and 1.442 million during total day. In the Adults 25-54 demographic, it garnered 197,000 viewers in primetime and 142,000 during total day. Despite these gains of 11% in total viewers and 24% in the demo during primetime compared to December, Fox News saw significant declines year-over-year, down 26% in total viewers and 44% in the demo compared to January 2025.
MS NOW ranked second with 887,000 total viewers in primetime and 586,000 during total day. Its performance showed a modest increase of 1% in total viewers and 6% in the demo during primetime from December, and it was up 21% in total viewers compared to January 2025. In the Adults 25-54 demographic, MS NOW had 76,000 viewers in primetime and 55,000 during total day.
CNN, finishing in fourth place, averaged 660,000 total viewers in primetime and 508,000 during total day. The network experienced a notable increase of 35% in total viewers and 96% in the demo during primetime compared to December. Year-over-year, CNN was up 26% in total viewers and 14% in the demo during primetime.
Programming Highlights
Fox News' "The Five" emerged as the most-watched program, attracting 3.732 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET and leading in the A25-54 demo with 328,000 viewers. MS NOW's top show, "The Rachel Maddow Show," reached 1.881 million total viewers and 156,000 in the demo. CNN's highest-rated program, "Anderson Cooper 360," garnered 133,000 viewers in the A25-54 demographic.
Criticism & Opposition
Despite the growth in viewership, Fox News faced criticism for its year-over-year declines, raising questions about its long-term audience retention strategies. Critics pointed out that while the network performed well in the short term, the significant drop in viewership compared to the previous year could indicate deeper issues with content engagement.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
While all networks reported growth in January, discrepancies exist in year-over-year comparisons. Fox News was the only network to show declines across all measured categories compared to January 2025, while MS NOW and CNN reported increases. This raises questions about the factors influencing viewer preferences and the overall competitive landscape of cable news.
Conclusion
The January 2026 cable news ratings reflect a competitive environment, with all networks capitalizing on an active news cycle. However, the contrasting year-over-year performances highlight the challenges faced by Fox News, while MS NOW and CNN continue to build on their viewer bases. The evolving dynamics of cable news will be crucial to monitor in the coming months.
