Fox News Tops October Ratings, But Viewership Drops Vs. 2025; MS NOW And CNN Show Gains As Midterms Approach
Fox News led US cable news ratings in October, but its audience was substantially smaller than in October 2025. MS NOW and CNN both gained viewers as the midterm elections approached, suggesting renewed interest in political coverage.
Fox averaged 1.68 million primetime viewers, down 28% year on year, while MS NOW averaged 925,000, up 14%, and CNN 598,000, up 19%. Fox’s five most-watched cable news programmes led in total viewers, with The Five averaging 2.7 million; MS NOW’s top programme was The Rachel Maddow Show at 1.72 million, and CNN’s was The Source with Kaitlan Collins at 630,000. Fox also reported 3.8 billion YouTube video views through 27 October, compared with 2.96 billion for MS NOW and 2.36 billion for CNN.
In short
- Fox News remained October’s ratings leader despite year-on-year declines.
- MS NOW and CNN gained primetime viewers.
- The Five averaged 2.7 million viewers.
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The case for
Fox’s continued lead in primetime and its top programmes’ larger audiences suggest it retains a strong position in cable news, while its reported YouTube views point to substantial reach beyond television. Year-on-year declines may reflect a comparison with unusually high interest in 2025 rather than a lasting loss of audience.
The case against
Fox’s 28% year-on-year primetime decline is markedly larger than the gains reported by MS NOW and CNN, which may indicate that its advantage is narrowing as attention shifts towards the midterms. Their audience growth suggests viewers are increasingly seeking political coverage from a broader range of outlets, even though Fox remains ahead on cable television.
Explained simply
US cable news channels compete for viewers through scheduled programmes, live coverage and online video. Fox News, MS NOW and CNN are among the main US outlets covering politics and national events; MS NOW is the channel formerly known as MSNBC.
The US holds congressional midterm elections halfway through a president’s four-year term. Voters choose all members of the House of Representatives and some senators, so the elections can change which party controls Congress and influence the president’s ability to pass laws.
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