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Fox News Channel lost more than a quarter of its audience in October compared with a year earlier, falling to historic ratings lows as competitors MS NOW and CNN posted gains ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
The network averaged 1.1 million total-day viewers, down 27% from October 2025, while its audience among adults 25-54 — the demographic coveted by advertisers — fell 32% to 98,000, according to Nielsen ratings data obtained by TheWrap.
The results mark Fox’s smallest total-day audience since December 2023 and its lowest in the key adults 25-54 demographic in 25 years.
Despite the losses, Fox maintained its commanding lead over the competition. It ranked No. 1 among all cable networks in total-day viewers for October and was the only one to average more than 1 million, ahead of ESPN’s 824,000. Fox also ranked No. 3 across cable in adults 25-54, trailing only ESPN and TBS, according to Nielsen data.
Fox accounted for 53% of the combined cable news audience during total day and 52% in primetime, drawing more total viewers than CNN and MS NOW combined in both periods.
In response to a request for comment, Fox News emphasized its continued ratings lead and growing reach on digital platforms. The network generated 3.8 billion YouTube video views through Oct. 27, compared with nearly 3 billion for MS NOW and 2.4 billion for CNN, according to data from social media analytics firm Emplifi. The figures measure video views rather than unique viewers and are not directly comparable to Nielsen television ratings.
Fox’s losses extended into primetime, where the network averaged 2.01 million viewers on weekdays, down 28% year over year. Its audience in the 25-54 demographic fell 36% to 183,000.
MS NOW, meanwhile, averaged 588,000 total-day viewers, up 16% from October 2025, while its audience in the key demo rose 38% to 62,000. CNN drew 402,000 total-day viewers, a 3% increase, with its demo audience also climbing 3% to 60,000.
Both networks also posted gains in weekday primetime. MS NOW averaged 1.16 million viewers, up 15%, while CNN drew 644,000, a 16% increase. CNN narrowly beat MS NOW in the primetime demo, averaging 124,000 viewers compared with 117,000.
The Nielsen figures are based on Big Data + Panel measurement and Live + Same Day viewing for both October 2026 and October 2025. The October 2026 ratings period ran from Sept. 28 through Oct. 25.
The contrasting results underscore the changing cable news landscape heading into Election Day. Fox continues to dominate traditional TV news by a wide margin, even as its audience declines sharply and its closest competitors make noticeable year-over-year gains.
