Top 15 Rated Shows On Cable News So Far In 2025
Donald Trump's second term has been kind to one cable news network. The others, not so much.
This week, Nielsen Media Research data regarding the most-watched shows on cable news for the first quarter of 2025. Here is the list in order:
- The Five — Fox News (4,552,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime — Fox News (4,103,000)
- Hannity — Fox News (3,544,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier — Fox News (3,503,000)
- The Ingraham Angle — Fox News (3,418,000)
- Gutfeld! — Fox News (3,333,000)
- The Will Cain Show — Fox News (2,591,000)
- Outnumbered — Fox News (2,453,000)
- The Faulkner Focus — Fox News (2,392,000)
- America Reports — Fox News (2,351,000)
- The Story with Martha MacCallum — Fox News (2,338,00)
- America’s Newsroom — Fox News (2,285,000)
- The Rachel Maddow Show — MSNBC (1,981,000)
- Fox News at Night — Fox News (1,907,000)
- Fox & Friends — Fox (1,519,000)
TODAY -- Pictured: Rachel Maddow on Tuesday, October 2, 2019 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
MSNBC
"The Rachel Maddow Show" is the only program among the top 15 not to air on Fox News. She is still a draw, but not nearly at the level she was previously.
Eight years ago, at the height of the Russia Hoax, Maddow was one of the three highest-rated hosts on cable news, trailing only Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Today, she is 13th overall.
MSNBC will still take it, especially considering Maddow will soon scale back her schedule to just once a week. Jen Psaki will host the 9 pm hour the other four nights of the week.
As a whole, the outlook for MSNBC is bleak. The channel is down -18% in total viewers and -21% in the demo during primetime compared to Q1 2024. Parent company NBCUniversal is also planning to spin off the network and other cable channels away from its more valued properties, like NBC and Peacock.
It's unclear what type of budget MSNBC will operate on without the backing of NBC News. In the near term, look for NBC to poach away any of the existing MSNBC talent in whom it sees value. The network announced this week that data guru Steve Kornacki would no longer appear on MSNBC, but NBC News and NBC Sports exclusively.
Finally, in an upset, CNN's morning show topped "Morning Joe" in the demo for the first time since Q2 2022, with a victory of 73,000 to 64,000. CNN has not been competitive on morning television for years.
"Joe" has never recovered from its co-hosts meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago following the election. Consequently, the futures of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are open questions.
Fox News
The start of 2025 marked the highest-rated quarter in Fox News history among weekday viewers with an average of 2.2 million. Year over year, the network saw a 46% increase in total viewers and 63% in the demo during primetime.
Notably, the quarter further established Jesse Watters as the most-watched commentator on cable news, hosting and co-hosting the two top-rated shows in the industry, "The Five" and "Jesse Watters Primetime."
In fact, Watters' two programs were the only ones to eclipse the four million daily average.
Will Cain is also among the biggest winners of the quarter. "The Will Cain Show" debuted in January and has since set several viewership records, including the highest-rated month in the 4 pm timeslot and the biggest daytime premiere in Fox News history.
For the quarter, Cain recorded a 74% increase over what the time slot drew in Q1 2024.
Cain has quickly established the show as a go-to hub for big-name interviews, including conversations with Kevin Costner, Brett Favre, Andrew Schultz, Jay Leno, and Vivek Ramaswamy.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 14: Will Cain and Andrew Schulz during an interview on "The Will Cain Show" at Fox News Channel Studios on March 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
CNN
Well, CNN had a better quarter in terms of decline than MSNBC. Then again, perhaps no channel on cable had a rougher start to the year than MSNBC.
Still, CNN's viewership remains minuscule. "The Lead with Jake Tapper," after moving to 5 pm, was the highest-rated show on the network with an average of just 662,000 viewers. "Anderson Cooper 360" was the highest-rated show in the 25-54 age demographic, with an average of only 135,000 viewers.
Overall, CNN dropped -6% in total viewers and -1% in the demo during primetime compared to the first quarter of 2024. In total day, it declined a respective -8% and -7% in those categories.
What's more, during Trump's first term, the network frequently generated headlines from interviews and original reporting (even if said reporting was inaccurate). Not this time. The only real headlines from CNN these days are from lively debates between conservative pundit Scott Jennings and a few of his raging liberal colleagues.
Conclusion
The long-term stability of MSNBC and CNN is a real question mark. The demand for 24/7 cable news channels that repeat the same talking points as the rest of the legacy media just isn't there in 2025.
It may take a truly generational media talent for either MSNBC or CNN to turn it around. Right now, neither network has found that person.
If they can't, the networks have essentially three options: 1) dramatically cut talent contracts, 2) sell (or spin-off), or 3) continue to invest in what will soon be a losing financial investment.
Meanwhile, Fox News is able to fend off standard cable erosion for a few reasons. The network often offers a different perspective than its competition; the talent is strong, and the audience is passionate about the brand/mission.
In short, expect the current trajectories of their channel to stay steady throughout 2025. Unless, of course, MSNBC successfully convinces its viewers of another Russia Hoax.
Other notes and observations from the quarter
- "Rob Schmitt Tonight" was the highest-rated show on Newsmax with 510,000 viewers.
- "Cuomo" was the top show on NewsNation with 177,000 viewers.
- The trio of Lisa Boothe and "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt is promising. Boothe fits the identity of the show. She is smart and well-researched but also fun and personable, whether she is boxing or throwing a football on set.
- Laura Coates is not a primetime host. CNN tried to make her one. She is. She doesn't have the charisma or personality to lead a personality-driven show.
- Why does everyone need a suit and tie to talk about news on television? It's so unnatural.
The least fashionable person on TV
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In disclosure, OutKick and Fox News share common ownership.