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Lachlan Murdoch Notes Fox News “Viewer Fatigue” Around Midterms Amid Year-Over-Year Viewership Declines
Fox Corp. chief executive Lachlan Murdoch said Fox News is seeing “viewer fatigue” as the US midterm election cycle nears its end. He said viewers were watching slightly less television overall rather than moving to rival news channels, while the network continued to lead cable news.
Fox News’ October audience fell 28% year on year in primetime and 27% across the day, even as MS NOW and CNN recorded gains. Murdoch compared the pattern in part with the 2006 midterms, when a second-term president faced midterm elections. Fox Corp. reported a 47% rise in advertising revenue, helped by political adverts, the FIFA World Cup and Tubi.
In short
- Lachlan Murdoch cited viewer fatigue ahead of the midterms.
- Fox News’ October primetime audience fell 28% year on year.
- Fox Corp. advertising revenue rose 47%.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The declines may reflect election-season viewing fatigue and a broader fall in television watching, rather than viewers turning away from Fox News specifically. The network still led cable news, and year-on-year comparisons can be affected by unusually high interest in the previous election cycle; on this view, the figures do not by themselves show a lasting loss of audience or relevance.
The case against
A 28% year-on-year fall in primetime and 27% across the day is substantial, particularly as CNN and MS NOW gained viewers. Even if overall television use softened, the rival networks’ growth suggests some audiences may be choosing alternatives, so “viewer fatigue” may not fully explain Fox News’ decline. The figures raise a reasonable question about whether the network is losing viewers as well as facing a quieter election cycle.
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