Cable News July 2025: Fox News tops ratings, solidifying its dominance across total‐day and primetime. In a month where CNN posted its worst demo performance ever, Fox News captured a commanding share of viewers and key demographics, leaving competitors in the dust.
Fox News Surges in Total Day and Primetime
In July 2025, Fox News averaged 1.5 million total‑day viewers and 2.4 million primetime viewers, translating to a staggering 63 percent share of total‑day and 64 percent during 8–11 p.m. ET. For advertisers targeting adults aged 25–54, Fox’s demo ratings soared to 184,000 total‑day and 257,000 primetime, more than double the figures for CNN and MSNBC.
Fox’s consistent primetime leadership extended into broadcast territory, where it outperformed ABC, NBC, and CBS, with weekday primetime peaks reaching 2.6 million viewers compared to ABC’s 2.3 million and NBC’s 2.1 million.
CNN and MSNBC: Steep Year‑Over‑Year Declines
By contrast, CNN plunged to its lowest July ever in the 25–54 demographic: just 92,000 primetime and 62,000 total‑day demo viewers, down 44‑55 percent year‑over‑year. Overall viewership dropped 29 percent total‑day and 42 percent primetime versus July 2024.
MSNBC also suffered declines: 530,000 total‑day and 865,000 primetime viewers, with 52,000 total‑day demo and 81,000 primetime demo viewers, representing drops of 26–27 percent overall and 37–40 percent in 25–54 demo year‑over‑year. While MSNBC edged CNN in overall demo position, both trailed far behind Fox.
Top‑Performing Shows Fuel Fox’s Ratings Machine
Fox’s lineup dominated the weekly cable news Top 15 roster. The Five led the pack with 3.5 million total viewers and 378,000 demo viewers, topping all cable news shows and even surpassing CBS’s Big Brother.
Other exceptional performers included:
- Jesse Watters Primetime averaged 3.14 million viewers and 323,000 demo viewers at 7 p.m. ET, outpacing competing broadcast shows like Press Your Luck.
- Gutfeld! secured 2.91 million total viewers and 327,000 demo viewers, even surpassing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
- At 9 p.m., Hannity delivered 2.66 million viewers and 302,000 demo viewers. Special Report with Bret Baier also stood strong, with 2.61 million total viewers and 288,000 demo in its 6 p.m. ET slot.
All of Fox’s top shows consistently outranked anything CNN or MSNBC offered.
CNN’s Spikes Fail to Offset Overall Weakness
CNN did register spikes tied to major news events: coverage of the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial, the sentencing of Brian Kohberger, and Texas floods lifted viewership briefly. For instance, during the Kohberger sentencing, CNN became No. 1 among adults 18–34 across all cable networks. Its original programming also showed promise: Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took on the World premiered to 795,000 total viewers (83,000 demo) and Billionaires Boys Club drew 456,000 overall (59,000 demo) on July 13—its strongest debut in over a year.
Despite those gains, none approached Fox’s consistent dominance across platforms.
NewsNation: The Lone Growth Spot
Amid the general decline across cable news, NewsNation stood out—it was the only cable news network to post total‑day audience growth in July, increasing 6 percent in total viewers, aided by strong prime‑time performance from Cuomo, which grew by 20 percent since its debut.
Though still minor league compared to Fox, its upward momentum is noteworthy in a challenging ratings climate.
Why Fox Keeps Winning: Strategy, Programming, and the Trump Effect
Fox’s ratings surge is fueled by strategic alignment with its core audience, powerful programming, and the enduring popularity of Trump‑adjacent commentary. The network cultivated new advertisers and achieved a 32 percent increase in demo viewership year‑over‑year, with digital platforms such as YouTube contributing over 2.3 billion views, outperforming MSNBC (1.9 billion) and CNN (1.1 billion).
Analysts see Fox’s strength tied in part to Donald Trump’s re‑election in November 2024. Fox Corporation’s stock jumped 63 percent over the year, supported by a surge in ad revenue and a viewer base aligned with the network’s tone and priorities. ft.com
Meanwhile, CNN faces internal criticism over its perceived over‑focus on the Trump‑Russia era, which some say alienated broader audiences—leading to ratings bottoming out in key demos and prompting restructuring under CEO Mark Thompson.
Conclusion
July 2025 reaffirmed Fox News as the undisputed leader in cable news: commanding more than 63 percent of viewership share, owning multiple high‑rated programs, and leaving CNN and MSNBC reeling with deep demographic losses. While CNN’s sporadic spikes and NewsNation’s modest gains offer some promise, they pale beside Fox’s sweeping domination.
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