Newly released Nielsen ratings for the week of November 17, 2025, confirm what millions of Americans already know: Fox News remains the undisputed king of cable news. Despite a slight dip from the previous week, the network delivered an average of 2.121 million total primetime viewers and 189,000 adults aged 25-54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers. Those numbers dwarfed every competitor and kept Fox News firmly in second place among all basic cable networks in both categories, trailing only ESPN in the key demo during primetime hours.
That is more than MS Now & CNN’s primetime views that combined are just 1.584 million.
Even with a modest 5 percent decline in total viewers and a 1 percent drop in the demo compared to the prior week, Fox News continued to draw more than twice the primetime audience of its closest news rival. In total-day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.38 million viewers and 121,000 in the demo, maintaining its iron grip on first place among all basic cable networks for total viewers and second place in the demo according to a report from Adweek.
The numbers tell a familiar story of dominance. While other networks celebrated single-digit percentage gains, Fox News operated on an entirely different scale, lapping the field by millions of viewers night after night. Its primetime lineup, anchored by top-rated programs, consistently delivered audiences that no competitor could touch.
MSNBC managed some week-over-week improvement, climbing 5 percent to 1.014 million primetime viewers and 6 percent to 90,000 in the demo. Those gains pushed the network into third place among basic cable networks for total primetime viewers and lifted it one spot to twelfth in the demo. In total day, MSNBC averaged 649,000 viewers and 60,000 in the demo, good for third place in total viewers but a slide to ninth in the demo, tied with ESPN2.
CNN, meanwhile, remained far behind the leaders. The network averaged 570,000 primetime viewers and 103,000 in the demo, essentially flat in total audience and up 4 percent in the demo from the week before. That performance left CNN stuck in fifth place among all basic cable networks for primetime total viewers and dropped it to eighth in the demo. During total-day hours, CNN drew 450,000 viewers and 73,000 in the demo, holding fourth place in total viewers but only managing to climb one spot to fourth in the demo.
The November sweep period has historically been a high-stakes battleground for cable news, and once again Fox News emerged as the clear winner. Even with minor week-to-week softening, the network’s audience dwarfed the combined primetime totals of MSNBC and CNN in most measurements. Fox News continues to prove that its mix of hard-hitting commentary and coverage resonates with millions of Americans who simply aren’t tuning in anywhere else.
As the 2025-2026 television season progresses, one thing remains constant: when Americans want news on cable television, they overwhelmingly choose Fox News, and the latest Nielsen data for the week of November 17 show that nothing has changed.
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