Is Fox News really bigger than CNN? Let’s take a look at the numbers and find out.
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Fox News vs. CNN
Fox News is definitely bigger than CNN. Not only does it have more viewers, but it also has more affiliates and is available in more homes than CNN. Fox News also tends to be more popular with older viewers and with viewers who identify as Republicans.
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel is an American basic cable and satellite news television channel that is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, and is available in over 80 million homes in the United States and more than 35 other countries.
CNN
CNN is an American news-based cable television channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. The channel is owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. CNN broadcasts in over 200 countries and territories worldwide and employs over 4,000 people in its various divisions.
The channel is perhaps best known for its 24-hour news coverage, which includes live breaking news and live event coverage. CNN also has a wide range of shows and documentaries, both fact-based and opinion-based. Some of the most popular shows on CNN include Anderson Cooper 360, Erin Burnett OutFront, and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.
Despite its large global reach, CNN is often ranked behind Fox News in terms of viewership in the United States. In January 2018, for example, Fox News averaged 2.3 million viewers compared to 1.4 million for CNN ( Nielsen Media Research).
The Numbers
TV Ratings for the month of June show that Fox News is, in fact, bigger than CNN. In the month of June, Fox News averaged 1.4 million total viewers while CNN averaged 1.3 million total viewers. This is the first time in 17 years that Fox News has been the most-watched cable news network in the key demographic of adults aged 25-54.
Ratings
When it comes to television ratings, Fox News is the undisputed king. The network has been the most-watched cable news channel for 17 years, and shows no signs of relinquishing that title anytime soon.
According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime during the first quarter of 2019. That’s more than double the 1.1 million averaged by MSNBC and significantly higher than the 1.3 million averaged by CNN.
Fox News also trounces its rivals in the all-important 25-54 demographic, averaging 568,000 viewers in primetime compared to MSNBC’s 247,000 and CNN’s 325,000.
In total day viewership, Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers in the first quarter of 2019, compared to MSNBC’s 956,000 and CNN’s 783,000. Again, Fox News also led in the 25-54 demographic with 356,000 viewers compared to MSNBC’s 161,000 and CNN’s 222,000.
Viewership
TVNewser did a study and found that in 2017, Fox News averaged 2.4 million total day viewers while CNN averaged 1.2 million. That’s a difference of 1.2 million viewers! In terms of the primetime average, Fox News averaged 3.3 million viewers while CNN averaged 1.9 million. That’s a difference of 1.4 million viewers! When you compare those numbers to MSNBC, which averaged 1.7 million total day viewers and 2.5 million primetime viewers, you can see that Fox News is the clear leader in both categories.
The Future
The future of American news is looking more like an episode of The Simpsons than anyone could have predicted. Newspapers are struggling to stay afloat, while television news is becoming more infotainment than actual news. So, what does the future hold for news organizations?
Fox News
There are a number of ways to measure the relative size of news organizations, but one way is to look at the ratings. In this respect, Fox News appears to be bigger than CNN.
Fox News has more viewers in both the daytime and prime-time than CNN does. This is partly because Fox News has been on the air for longer than CNN, but it is also because Fox News has been more successful in attracting viewers.
In terms of reach, Fox News also appears to be bigger than CNN. Fox News is available in more households than CNN is. This is partly because Fox News is carried by more cable and satellite providers than CNN is.
There are other ways to measure the relative size of news organizations, but on these two measures, Fox News appears to be bigger than CNN.
CNN
CNN, formerly known as Cable News Network, is an American news-based pay television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of AT&T’s WarnerMedia. CNN was founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner as a 24-hour cable news channel. Upon its launch, CNN was the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage, and was the first all-news television channel in the United States.
While the news channel has numerous affiliates, CNN primarily broadcasts from CNN Center in Atlanta, the Time Warner Center in New York City, and studios in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Its headquarters at the CNN Center in Atlanta is only used for weekend programming.
