The latest ratings reveal a striking contrast between Fox News and CNN, particularly with the performance of Sean Hannity’s show. The second airing of “Hannity” at 2 a.m. Eastern Time attracted 911,000 viewers, surpassing every program on CNN. The closest competitor from CNN, “The Arena with Kasie Hunt,” managed 807,000 viewers at 4 p.m. Even CNN’s more prominent shows, like “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and “Anderson Cooper 360,” failed to match Hannity’s numbers, with 804,000 and 684,000 viewers, respectively.
During prime time, the differential is even more pronounced. Hannity pulls in an impressive 2.38 million viewers at 9 p.m., while “The Source with Kaitlin Collins” garners only 558,000 during the same hour. Such metrics are alarming for CNN, which once boasted a strong prime-time average. In 2016, during the presidential campaign, CNN averaged about 1.3 million viewers, a number that remained relatively stable for the initial year of the Trump administration. Today, their average has plummeted to 573,000.
Media analyst Jeffrey McCall attributes this decline to various factors, including what he describes as a denial among establishment media and left-leaning viewers regarding Trump’s 2016 victory. This denial led to heavy coverage of conspiracy theories and impeachment efforts, which now seems to have lost traction in Trump’s second term. McCall noted, “Even the ‘hair on fire’ rhetoric that Trump won’t leave the White House after this current term, and will maneuver into a third term, is getting no traction.” This decline illustrates how audience engagement can shift dramatically over time, especially when the narrative fails to resonate.
Fox News, conversely, continues to thrive. In 2025, the network reported an average prime-time viewership of 2.76 million, a growth of 11 percent. Observers like Clay Travis have pointed out the stark contrast in viewership trends between Fox and its competitors, stating that both MSNBC and CNN experienced declines in their ratings during Trump’s second term, unlike during his first. Travis remarked, “Interesting that MSNBC and CNN both saw viewership tank in first year of Trump 2.0. Huge change from Trump 1.0 when he sent their ratings soaring.”
Moreover, Fox News holds the top 12 most-watched news programs on cable, including “The Five,” which leads with 4.1 million viewers. Other standout shows, such as “Jesse Watters Primetime” with 3.6 million and “Hannity” in prime time, indicate a solid and growing audience base for Fox. Each of these programs has experienced double-digit growth, reinforcing Fox’s dominance in the current news landscape.
In summary, the ratings landscape is a powerful indicator of viewer preference and trust in news sources. As Fox News continues to solidify its standing with strong viewership numbers, CNN’s struggles reveal significant shifts in audience loyalty and expectations. This dynamic not only affects ratings but also shapes the broader narrative in media and politics.
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