The first election night ratings for the 2026 midterms show NBC News with the biggest audience on television and the three main cable news networks almost tied. NBC averaged about 6.5 million viewers in prime time on November 3, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. MS NOW, CNN and Fox News each drew close to 4 million.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- NBC News averaged about 6.52 million prime-time viewers on November 3, 2026, the most of any broadcast or cable network (Nielsen fast nationals).
- In Nielsen’s preliminary panel data, MS NOW averaged 4.189 million viewers from 8 to 11 p.m. ET, CNN 4.177 million and Fox News 4.080 million.
- All of these numbers are preliminary, so the final order can still change later in the week.
Who won the election night ratings?
NBC News won among all networks, and the cable race was too close to call a clear winner. That is the short version. The longer one depends on which Nielsen release you read and which hours it covers.
The first numbers out were Nielsen’s fast national ratings for prime time. On those, NBC averaged 6.519 million viewers and ABC News 4.906 million, TV Insider reported, citing Mediaite. CNN came next with 3.927 million, then MS NOW with 3.922 million and Fox News with 3.882 million. CBS News averaged 2.629 million.
Barrett Media noted that fewer than 50,000 viewers separated the three cable networks in that release. It also added up the six networks: 25.79 million viewers, already above the 25.43 million final total for the 2022 midterms.
| Network | Prime-time viewers (fast nationals) | Prime-time viewers (preliminary panel, 8–11 p.m. ET) |
|---|---|---|
| NBC News | 6.519 million | not in the cable release |
| ABC News | 4.906 million | not in the cable release |
| MS NOW | 3.922 million | 4.189 million |
| CNN | 3.927 million | 4.177 million |
| Fox News | 3.882 million | 4.080 million |
| CBS News | 2.629 million | not in the cable release |
Why do election night ratings differ by source?
Nielsen issues several early data sets, and each one counts viewers a little differently. As a result, headlines on the same night can name different winners.
Fast national ratings come first. However, Barrett Media points out that they leave out out-of-home viewing and Nielsen’s big data component. Later, Nielsen’s preliminary panel figures arrive, and those are higher across the board.
MS NOW’s own release uses the panel numbers. On that basis, MS NOW led cable in prime time by about 12,000 viewers over CNN. It also led the full “We The People” window from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET with 3.520 million viewers, ahead of CNN at 3.242 million and Fox News at 2.977 million. Across the whole day, MS NOW reported 2.138 million viewers, Fox News 2.133 million and CNN 1.8 million.
CNN, meanwhile, led cable among adults 25 to 54, the group advertisers pay for. Forbes put CNN at 1.56 million in that demo, with Fox News at 817,000 and MS NOW at 776,000. TV Insider’s fast-national figures show the same order. So each of the three networks can point to a number it won.
How big was streaming on election night?
Streaming and YouTube were a large part of the night, and they don’t show up in the election night ratings from Nielsen at all. The networks are now reporting those numbers next to TV ratings.
NBC’s “Kornacki Cam,” a live stream of analyst Steve Kornacki at his results board, ran for about 10.5 hours. NBC said it drew 29 million views across platforms, including 6.1 million on YouTube, according to TV Insider and Barrett Media. You can find that kind of coverage on NBC News NOW, the network’s free streaming channel.
MS NOW said November 3 was its best day ever on YouTube, with 33.2 million views. That figure comes from the network’s own YouTube Studio data, so it is not a Nielsen number. Its site, ms.now, had more than two million unique visitors that day, the release added.
How does 2026 compare with 2022 and with Fox’s October lead?
Most networks grew compared with the last midterms. MS NOW reported a 32% rise over 2022 for its election special. CNN reported double-digit prime-time growth, and CBS News reported 8% more total viewers, according to TV Insider.
For NBC, Forbes reported it was the network’s first win in total viewers on a midterm election night in 24 years. For Fox News, third place in cable prime time was unusual. Even so, it came after a month in which Fox was still the most-watched cable news network overall. Our October cable news ratings report covers that month, including Fox’s year-over-year decline.
Election night ratings also reflect which audiences are most eager for the results. In short, one night of figures says more about that night than about long-term loyalty. Monthly and quarterly numbers give a steadier picture than any set of election night ratings.
How to watch the networks’ post-election coverage
All six networks are still covering the uncalled races and what the new Congress means. Here is where to watch each one live.
- Cable channels: CNN, Fox News and MS NOW need a cable login or a live TV streaming service. Our guide to watching news without cable compares the main options.
- Broadcast networks: ABC, CBS and NBC also run free streaming channels, which carry special coverage on big news days.
- Results so far: our who won the midterms page tracks the race calls.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Are these election night ratings final?
No. Every figure here is preliminary. Final Nielsen numbers usually arrive later in the week, and with margins this small the cable order could change.
Which cable network had the most viewers?
It depends on the data. On fast nationals, CNN led prime time by about 5,000 viewers. On the preliminary panel figures, MS NOW led prime time and the full 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. window. CNN led among adults 25 to 54 on both.
Where did the YouTube numbers come from?
From the networks themselves. NBC reported the Kornacki Cam views, and MS NOW reported its 33.2 million YouTube views from its own analytics. Nielsen does not publish those figures.
For more coverage like this, browse our streaming news section.
