Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Are the Midterms About to Be a Blowout Ratings Night for Cable News?
Cable news networks are hoping the 2026 midterm election draws the large audiences seen in 2018, when dramatic results and extensive broadcast coverage helped make it the century’s most-watched midterm election night. This year’s contest is being framed as higher stakes, with Donald Trump a central political presence, but the eventual ratings will show whether viewers tune in at a level closer to 2018 or 2022.
Across all linear networks, election-night coverage averaged 36.1 million viewers in 2018, compared with 25.43 million in 2022, a 30 per cent fall. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC together averaged 13.94 million viewers for the full night in 2018; in 2022, Fox had the smallest decline, while CNN’s total audience fell 47 per cent and MSNBC’s fell 32 per cent. The article says any post-election audience boost in 2022 was brief.
In short
- 2026 ratings will test whether midterms can draw 2018-sized audiences.
- All-network election-night viewers fell 30 per cent from 2018 to 2022.
- CNN and MSNBC saw bigger 2022 declines than Fox News.
Explained simply
US midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term. Voters choose members of Congress, as well as governors and other officials, and the results can shift the balance of power in Washington.
Cable news networks such as Fox News, CNN and MSNBC provide live election coverage and compete for viewers. Their audiences can rise when results are close or could change which party controls Congress.
Turnout for election-night coverage has varied: the 2018 midterms drew more viewers across television than the 2022 contest. Ratings measure how many people watch, and help show how much attention viewers give election coverage.