Fox News has been the hottest network this summer, in terms of overall average daily audience measured by Nielsen, while Fox’s “Gutfeld!” has outperformed the late-night shows on ABC, NBC and CBS.
Fox’s 3.0 million average daily primetime (8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.) viewers has topped second-place ABC’s 2.8 million average so far this summer (Memorial Day through July 14th).
Summer Average Daily Primetime Audience:
Fox News took the top spot by overcoming significant disadvantages, compared to the three broadcast networks, Forbes notes:
“Networks like ABC, CBS and NBC are in far more homes than Fox News, but this summer’s ratings show that’s not an obstacle to Fox’s rise to the top. In the same way, FNC’s The Five, the most-watched show in cable news, doesn’t even air during prime time – the hours between 8 and 11 p.m. when, traditionally, television viewership is the highest.
“So far this summer, Fox News programs like Special Report with Bret Baier, Hannity, Gutfeld!, Jesse Watters Primetime and The Five have outpaced broadcast hits like NBC’s Law and Order and Law and Order: SVU.”
“It's important to note that we don't see Fox News anymore as just a news service,” FOX Corporation Executive Chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch told a media and telecom conference earlier this year.
When it comes to late-night, Fox News Channel's "Gutfeld!" is the most-watched late-night program on television, having pulled in more audience than CBS’ “Late Show” for 21 straight months among total viewers and 13 months in a row among a key age demographic (25-34), Fox News reports.
Year-to-date (through July 20), “Gutfeld!” averaged 3.1 million total viewers and 398,000 viewers in the 25-54 cohort, while “The Late Show” averaged 1.9 million and 288,000, respectively.
Late-Night Average Daily Audience (Jan. 1 through July 20):
Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” starts an hour earlier (10:00 p.m.) than late-night shows on broadcast networks start an hour earlier.