Fox News Channel Beats ABC And NBC In April Prime Time Ratings

BusinessMediaFox News Channel Beats ABC And NBC In April Prime Time RatingsByMark Joyella,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mark Joyella is a former broadcast journalist who covers media.Follow AuthorApr 29, 2026, 11:29am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: Political commentator and host at Fox News Jesse Watters appears on air during the Fox News Special prior to President Trump's Joint Address to Congress at the FOX News D.C. Bureau on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFox News Channel will end April as the top-rated network in cable news--as it has for years--but also as the one of the most-watched networks in all of television, finishing the month behind only CBS in prime time.According to early ratings data compiled by Nielsen, Fox News Channel delivered an average total viewership of 3.224 million prime time viewers in April, finishing in second place overall behind CBS, which took the top position with 3.816 million viewers. ABC was third overall with 3.125 million viewers, followed by NBC (3.047 million viewers).For CBS and ABC, April marks their lowest-rated April prime time viewership so far this century, with CBS average fewer than 4 million viewers for the first time. The network’s much-discussed revamp of the CBS Evening News continued to struggle, as the broadcast slipped to 3.9 million total viewers and 497,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demo--the show’s worst performance since Tony Dokoupil took the anchor chair.The Five dominates the month--againFox News Channel’s The Five was the most-watched show in cable news in April, with a total audience of 3.784 million viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (3.603 million viewers), Hannity (3.211 million viewers), Gutfeld! (3.028 million viewers) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.9...