FOX News Channel is most-watched network for midterms
November 9, 2022
FOX News Channel’s (FNC) midterm election primetime coverage (8-11PM/ET) dominated all broadcast and cable television networks, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. FNC’s primetime coverage delivered 7,422,000 viewers and 1,879,000 in the 25-54 younger demographic, making it the highest-rated election night coverage in all of television in total viewers and the A25-54 demographic, beating ABC, NBC, CBS and topping CNN and MSNBC combined across the board.
Co-anchored by chief political anchor Special Report’s Bret Baier and anchor and executive editor of The Story Martha MacCallum (6PM-2AM/ET), FNC’s election coverage averaged 5.6 million viewers and 1.4 million in the younger A25-54 demographic, beating all networks across the board. Additionally, FNC was also the most-watched cable news network in the younger 18-49 demographic with 1.4 million viewers during primetime (8-11PM/ET) and 1,012,000 viewers from 6PM-2AM/ET. Notably, the coverage of the 2022 midterm elections was the first time in television history that CNN has placed last in midterm election coverage in cable news.
FNC’s coverage of the 2022 midterm election drew the largest audience in all of primetime television last night, beating broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC. FNC surpassed NBC and CBS combined with viewers and A25-54. During total day, FNC also outpaced all networks, averaging 3.2 million viewers and 688,000 in the younger 25-54 demographic for the duration of Election Day coverage, securing its highest-rated midterm election coverage in total day viewers. Additionally, FNC secured 34% of the total audience share in primetime in all of election coverage.
According to data from Nielsen MRI Fusion, FNC is also home to the most politically diverse audience in all of cable news with more Democrats, Independents and Republicans watching than CNN or MSNBC in total day or primetime.
Additionally, FOX Business Network, which simulcast FNC’s coverage, averaged 598,000 in viewers and 214,000 in the younger A25-54 demographic, topping CNBC across the board.
FOX News Digital experienced a record day of engagement across all key performance indicators, notching double-digit increases in all categories. Compared to midterm election day in 2018, unique devices increased by 10% page views were up 25%, and time spent was up 21%, according to Adobe Analytics.
Across all FOX News Digital properties, FOX Nation, Facebook, and YouTube, there were 9 million total livestream views during election day 2022, marking the highest day of engagement on the FOX News livestream in midterm election history, according to Adobe Analytics, YouTube Analytics, and CrowdTangle. The livestream was un-gated at 2:50PM/ET, so users no longer had to authenticate to access the stream. Additionally, unique devices on the FOX News livestream were up 697% from the average 2022 weekday. Over the course of election day, FOX News Digital at its hourly peak saw a 13% increase in unique devices from four years prior during the last midterm election day in 2018.
Traffic of midterm elections coverage between the Election pages, Politics section, and Live Blogs were up 23% percent from Election Day 2018. FNC was also number one in the news competitive set with social media engagement.