Overnight Cable News ratings for January 3-6: Fox News starts the year on top

Friday Jan. 3

The Five is the most-watched show heading into the first weekend of 2025 with more than three million total viewers. The most watched shows on the three networks took place outside of prime time, such as The Lead with Jake Tapper paved the way for CNN, while Deadline: the White House with Nicole Wallace was the first for MSNBC.

25-54 demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 225 | CNN: 66 | MSNBC: 55
Prime: FNC: 208 | CNN: 52 | MSNBC: 41

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. Latest news:
Tapping machine 280:
62 Deadline: White House:
78 5 p.m. Five:
351 Tapping:
72 Deadline: White House:
— 6:00 p.m. Baier:
312 Blitzer:
74 Melber:
63 7 p.m. Ingraham Angle:
236 Burnett:
59 Reid:
51 8 p.m. Watters in prime time:
202 Cooper:
56 Hayes:
42 9 p.m. Hannity:
187 The Source:
54 Wagner this evening:
39 10 p.m. Gutfeld!:
234 Philip:
46 Last word:
43 11 p.m. Gallagher:
187 Coates:
49 Rühle:
52

Total viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 1,963 | CNN: 434 | MSNBC: 613
Prime: FNC: 2,179 | CNN: 312 | MSNBC: 598

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. Latest news:
2.356 Tapping machine:
576 Deadline: White House:
909 5:00 p.m. Five:
3.420 Tapping machine:
533 Deadline: White House:
—- 6:00 p.m. Baier:
2.687 Blitzer:
479 Melber:
768 7 p.m. Ingraham Angle:
2.009 Burnett:
434 Reid:
687 8 p.m. Watters in prime time:
2,280 Cooper:
350 Hayes:
683 9:00 p.m. Hannity:
2.030 Source:
278 Wagner this evening:
566 10 p.m. Gutfeld! :
2.228 Philip:
309 Last word:
545 11 p.m. Gallagher:
1.305 Coats:
272 Ruhle:
454

Saturday January 4

CNN finished ahead of MSNBC in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during all day and prime time. All three networks covered the former president Jimmy Carter‘s body was transported from Plains, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia after his death on December 29.

25-54 demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 120 | CNN: 54 | MSNBC: 30
Prime: FNC: 101 | CNN: 63 | MSNBC: 24

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. Jimmy Carter:
95 CNN Newsroom:
81Jimmy Carter:
40 4:43 p.m. FN live:
93 CNN Newsroom:
—Jimmy Carter:
—- 5:00 p.m. Five:
100 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
60 Sharpton:
39 6:00 p.m. Fox Report:
118 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
54 Cap Coeur:
34 7 p.m. Big show of the weekend:
155Jimmy Carter:
48 Ayman:
25 8 p.m. Levin:
103Jimmy Carter:
—-Ayman:
—- 9 p.m. Kilméade:
94Luther:
72Wallace:
26 10 p.m. Failla:
105Luther:
— Lifetime :
23 11 p.m. Gutfeld:
98 The 80s:
35 Rule:
24

Total viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 1,147 | CNN: 361 | MSNBC: 333
Prime: FNC: 1.094 | CNN: 360 | MSNBC: 243

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. Jimmy Carter:
967 CNN Newsroom:
554 Jimmy Carter:
447 4:43 p.m. FN live:
808 CNN Newsroom:
—Jimmy Carter:
—- 5:00 p.m. Five:
1:12 p.m. CNN Newsroom/Dean:
470 Sharpton:
408 6:00 p.m. Fox Report:
1.287 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
371 Cap Coeur:
346 Big weekend show at 7 p.m.:
1.491 Jimmy Carter:
384 Ayman:
265 8 p.m. Levin:
1.288 Jimmy Carter:
—-Ayman:
—- 9 p.m. Kilméade:
1.061Luther:
333 Wallace:
291 10 p.m. Failla:
932Luther:
— Lifetime :
203 11:00 p.m. Gutfeld:
783 80s:
180 Ruhle:
185

Sunday January 5

Fox News’ Life, Liberty & Levin narrowly beats The Big Weekend Show for the title of most-watched show of the evening. Elsewhere, CNN topped MSNBC in the A25-54 demo, while MSNBC finished on top in total viewers. The two channels failed to cross the threshold of 300,000 viewers in total before Monday.

Total day: FNC: 104 | CNN: 38 | MSNBC: 31
Prime: FNC: 101 | CNN: 28 | MSNBC: 18

25-54 demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. FN live:
54 CNN/Whitfield Newsroom:
31Wallace:
28 5 p.m. Levin:
48 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
37 Sharpton:
20 Fox Report at 6 p.m.:
61 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
55 Cap Coeur:
30 7 p.m. Big show of the weekend:
90 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
43 Ayman:
27 8 p.m. Levin:
101 The whole story:
26 Ayman:
—- 9:00 p.m. Good God:
99 Las Vegas:
26Wallace:
2 p.m. 10 p.m. Big show of the weekend:
103 Las Vegas:
33 Psaki:
20 11 p.m. Levin:
95 Las Vegas:
38 Ayman:
13

Total viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 1.022 | CNN: 251 | MSNBC: 284
Prime: FNC: 1.115 | CNN: 173 | MSNBC: 196

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4 p.m. FN live:
734 CNN/Whitfield Newsroom:
276Wallace:
242 5 p.m. Levin:
604 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
355 Sharpton:
331 6:00 p.m. Fox Report:
929 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
334 Cap Coeur:
292 Big weekend show at 7 p.m.:
1.298 CNN Newsroom/Dean:
295 Ayman:
296 8 p.m. Levin:
1.258 The whole story:
173 Ayman:
—- 9:00 p.m. Good God:
1,176 Las Vegas:
156Wallace:
155 10 p.m. Big show of the weekend:
912 Las Vegas:
190 Psaki:
193 11 p.m. Levin:
627 Las Vegas:
147 Ayman:
144

Monday January 6

The first full week of 2025 began with Fox News in first place, MSNBC in second place and CNN in third. The Five surpassed 4 million total viewers, while the most-watched show on MSNBC was The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Lead with Jake Tapper ranked first for CNN.

25-54 demographic (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 270 | CNN: 56 | MSNBC: 53
Prime: FNC: 366 | CNN: 66 | MSNBC: 88

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4:00 p.m. Your world:
232 Tapping machine:
68Wallace:
65 5 p.m. Five:
Tapping machine 430:
84Wallace:
— 6:00 p.m. Baier:
335 Blitzer:
51 Melber:
57 7 p.m. Ingraham:
329 Burnett:
66Reid:
52 8 p.m. Watters:
409 Cooper:
72 Psaki:
50 9 p.m. Hannity:
309 Collins:
60 Maddow:
117 10:00 p.m. Gutfeld:
380 Philip:
66 O’Donnell:
96 11 p.m. Gallagher:
220 coats:
41 Rühle:
37

Total viewers (Live+SD x 1,000)

Total day: FNC: 2,292 | CNN: 410 | MSNBC: 687
Prime: FNC: 3.163 | CNN: 401 | MSNBC: 1,206

FNC: CNN: MSNBC: 4:00 p.m. Your world:
Tapper 2.050:
553Wallace:
982 5:00 p.m. Five:
4.380 Blitzer:
567 Wallace:
—- 6:00 p.m. Baier:
3.087 Blitzer:
464 Melber:
856 7 p.m. Ingraham:
2.792 Burnett:
468 Reid:
708 8 p.m. Watters:
3,684 Cooper:
455 Psaki:
733 9:00 p.m. Hannity:
2,785 Collins:
387 Maddow:
1.621 10:00 p.m. Gutfeld:
3.021 Philip:
361 O’Donnell:
1.263 11:00 p.m. Gallagher:
1,596 Coats
281 Rühle:
565