The October 2026 cable news ratings are in, and the order at the top did not change. Fox News Channel averaged 1.1 million viewers across the full day, MS NOW averaged 588,000 and CNN averaged 402,000, according to Nielsen figures the networks released on October 28. However, the trend lines point in different directions: Fox was down sharply from October 2025, while CNN and MS NOW both grew.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- Fox News averaged 1,101,000 total-day viewers in October 2026, ahead of MS NOW (588,000) and CNN (402,000), per Nielsen data in Fox’s October 28 release.
- Fox’s total-day audience was down 27% from October 2025, while MS NOW was up 16% and CNN up 3%, according to NewscastStudio and TheDesk.
- Fox News led YouTube news brands with about 3.8 billion video views from January 1 to October 27, 2026, per Emplifi data; CNN passed 20 million YouTube subscribers in October.
What do the October cable news ratings show?
In short, Fox News is still far ahead, but the gap is narrower than a year ago. Fox said it won both total day and prime time for the 68th month in a row and aired 99 of the 100 most-watched cable news telecasts in October. Election night on November 3 was a different story for one night, as our midterm election night ratings report shows.
The table below uses the Monday–Sunday Nielsen Live+Same Day averages that Fox published for all three networks. Total day runs 6 a.m. to 6 a.m.; prime time is 8 to 11 p.m. ET.
| Network | Total day viewers | Total day, ages 25–54 | Prime time viewers | Prime time, ages 25–54 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 1,101,000 | 98,000 | 1,675,000 | 145,000 |
| MS NOW | 588,000 | 62,000 | 925,000 | 95,000 |
| CNN | 402,000 | 60,000 | 598,000 | 107,000 |
So Fox drew more total-day viewers than CNN and MS NOW combined. Meanwhile, CNN beat MS NOW in prime time among adults 25 to 54, the group advertisers pay most attention to.
How big was the Fox News lead by show?
Fox programs filled the top of the chart. The Five at 5 p.m. ET averaged 2.71 million viewers, the highest in cable news. Then came Jesse Watters Primetime (2.34 million), Special Report with Bret Baier (2.02 million), Gutfeld! (1.98 million) and The Ingraham Angle (1.94 million). If you want to catch those shows live, our full Fox News lineup by hour lists when each one airs.
The strongest non-Fox show was The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW. Its Monday airing averaged 1.7 million viewers, and TheDesk reported that it led cable news in that Monday slot among total viewers.
Why are Fox’s cable news ratings down from 2025?
Fox’s total-day audience fell 27% compared with October 2025, according to NewscastStudio, which cited preliminary Nielsen numbers first reported by Status and Variety. Its audience among adults 25 to 54 fell 32% to 98,000. In addition, NewscastStudio said Fox & Friends averaged under 1 million viewers for a second straight month.
The decline also continues a pattern from the third quarter, when Fox’s total-day audience dropped 16%. NewscastStudio noted that the Nielsen data alone does not explain why viewers left. For its part, Fox highlighted other measures. It said it is “pacing to be the highest rated midterm year” in total-day viewers and is the only cable network averaging more than 1 million viewers across the day.
How did CNN and MS NOW do?
Both networks grew from a smaller base. MS NOW’s total-day audience rose 16% year over year, and its weekday prime-time audience rose 15% to 1.2 million, according to TheDesk. It was MS NOW’s 11th straight month of year-over-year growth.
CNN reported that its Monday–Sunday prime-time audience rose 17%, from 536,000 to 626,000, and that adults 25 to 54 rose 34% to 114,000. Its weekday prime time grew 15% to 665,000. CNN also said its October 14 town hall with Texas Senate nominee James Talarico was its best prime-time night since the president’s July 16 address.
Still, Fox framed the month differently. Its release said MS NOW had its lowest pre-midterm October since 2014 in total day and prime time. Both claims can be true at once, because one compares with last year and the other with earlier election years.
Why the networks’ numbers don’t line up
Each network chose its own measures, so some figures can’t be compared directly. For example, Fox used Nielsen Live+Same Day data. CNN, by contrast, used Live+7, which adds a week of delayed viewing and out-of-home viewing. CNN’s month also ran from September 28 to October 25.
That is why CNN’s prime-time figure (626,000) differs from the 598,000 in Fox’s table. When you read any network’s ratings release, check the dayparts, the age group and the Nielsen data type before comparing.
Cable news ratings and YouTube: the digital race
Outside TV, all three networks are chasing online viewers. Fox said it drew about 3.8 billion YouTube video views from January 1 to October 27, ahead of MS NOW (about 2.96 billion) and CNN (about 2.36 billion), using Emplifi data.
Meanwhile, CNN said it passed 20 million YouTube subscribers in October, the first US news publisher to do so. It also said its All Access subscription turned one year old, with 74% of subscribers choosing annual plans.
How to watch Fox News, CNN and MS NOW tonight
Election night is the next big test for all three networks. CNN starts its main coverage at 4 p.m. ET (21:00 GMT). Fox News starts “Democracy 26” at 6 p.m. ET (23:00 GMT), and MS NOW’s coverage also begins at 6 p.m. ET.
- With a TV provider: sign in to the Fox News, CNN or MS NOW app with your cable or satellite login.
- Without cable: our guides to watching Fox News without cable and watching CNN without cable compare FOX One, CNN All Access and live TV services.
- Channel by channel: see our Fox News live stream guide, CNN live stream guide and MS NOW live stream guide.
- Election-night options: our election night livestream guide lists free and paid ways to follow results.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We’re building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development. See what the NewsLive app will offer and join the early-access list.
For a side-by-side look at the three channels’ formats and anchors, read our CNN vs Fox News vs MSNBC comparison. More stories like this are in our Streaming News section.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the October 2026 cable news ratings?
Fox News did. It averaged 1.1 million total-day viewers and 1.68 million in prime time, more than CNN and MS NOW combined, according to Nielsen figures in Fox’s October 28 release.
Is CNN’s audience growing?
Yes, compared with last year. CNN said its Monday–Sunday prime-time audience rose 17% to 626,000 in October 2026, and NewscastStudio reported a 3% gain in total-day viewers.
Why do Fox and CNN report different numbers for CNN?
Because they use different Nielsen data. Fox’s release uses Live+Same Day figures, while CNN’s uses Live+7, which counts a week of delayed and out-of-home viewing. As a result, CNN’s own numbers are higher.
