FOX News Media Simulcast CNN Presidential Debate Highest-Rated Program Television 13.4 Million Viewers

FNC dominates viewership during CNN debate with highest share, outperforming all other networks in the 10 PM/ET hour and post-debate.

FOX News Media and FOX Network's simulcast of the CNN presidential debate last night was a massive success, drawing the largest audience across linear television, digital, and streaming platforms. The simulcast averaged an impressive 13,421,000 viewers and 3,342,000 in the key A25-54 demographic on FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX Network, FOXNews.com, and FOX Nation. This data, provided by Nielsen Media Research, solidifies FOX News Media and FOX Network's dominance in the media landscape.

During the 9-10:39 PM/ET timeslot, FNC alone delivered 9,276,000 viewers and 1,769,000 in the A25-54 demographic, outperforming every other broadcast channel's simulcast of the CNN debate. FBN and FOX Network also contributed to the impressive numbers, with FBN averaging 397,000 viewers and 84,000 in the A25-54 demo, while FOX Network delivered 3,677,000 viewers and 1,489,000 in the key demographic. FNM's streaming platforms also drew a substantial audience of nearly 100,000 viewers. FNC further solidified its position as the most-watched network in all of television during the crucial 10 PM/ET hour of the debate, with 9,116,000 viewers and 1,780,000 in the A25-54 demographic.

Throughout the network's special coverage from 7 PM-1 AM/ET, FNC maintained its lead in cable news, drawing 5,739,000 viewers and 1,045,000 in the A25-54 demographic. The early edition of Jesse Watters Primetime at 7 PM/ET garnered 2,810,000 viewers and 324,000 in the A25-54 demo, outperforming the competition. FNC's post-debate coverage from 10:39-11 PM/ET also topped cable news, with 8,714,000 viewers and 1,731,000 in the A25-54 demographic. Hannity's post-debate coverage further solidified FNC's dominance, averaging 5,820,000 viewers and 1,111,000 in the key demographic.

In the digital realm, FOX News Media's properties experienced a surge in engagement, with FOX News Digital recording 2.2 million livestream views between 9-11 PM/ET. The network's digital platforms, including FOX Nation, saw an average minute audience of 71,000 during the debate. FOX News Go also saw a significant increase in unique viewing devices, up 237% compared to the average weekday this year, and media initiates were up 207% vs. the average weekday in 2024.

On social media, FOX News Media properties continued to dominate in total social engagement among the news competitive set, garnering 669,000 social interactions across Facebook, X, and Instagram. This strong engagement across all platforms further solidifies FOX News Media's position as a leader in the media landscape.

FOX News Media, which includes FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, FOX Nation, FOX News International, and FOX Weather, continues to be the number one network in cable news. With a reach of nearly 200 million people each month, FOX News Media remains at the forefront of delivering news and information to audiences worldwide.

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