Fox News heads for its lowest-rated month since December 2023, Nielsen data show
Preliminary Nielsen figures first reported by Status show Fox News down 27% in total viewers in October 2026, its weakest month since December 2023, though it still leads cable news. Outlets differ on what the drop signals ahead of the midterms.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Fox News is on track for its lowest-rated month in total-day viewers since December 2023, according to preliminary Nielsen figures first reported by the media newsletter Status. Raw StoryL “October 2026 will be Fox News’ lowest-rated month since December 2023.” Read at Raw Story ↗ VarietyLC “Fox News is on track to post its lowest-rated month in total-day viewers since December 2023” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Variety reports that Fox News averaged 1.1 million total viewers in October, down 27% from a year earlier, and 98,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic that advertisers prize, down 32%. VarietyLC “FNC averaged 1.1 million total viewers for the month, down 27%, and 98,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic coveted by advertisers, a drop of 32%.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Raw Story, citing Status, says the 25-54 figure is Fox News' lowest monthly result in that group in 25 years. Raw StoryL “Fox News is set to post its lowest-rated month in that group in 25 years, averaging just 98,000 viewers.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1In primetime, Fox News averaged about 2 million total viewers, down 28%, and 183,000 in the 25-54 demo, down 36%, according to Variety's account of the Nielsen data. VarietyLC “In primetime, Fox News averaged about 2 million total viewers (down 28% year over year) in October, with viewers in the 25-54 demo falling 36% to 183,000” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2"Fox & Friends" is also down: October is its second straight month below 1 million total viewers and under 100,000 in the 25-54 demo, and its lowest total-viewer month since July 2015. Raw StoryL “The numbers make October 2026 the show's lowest-rated month among total viewers in more than 11 years, since July 2015.” Read at Raw Story ↗ VarietyLC “with October representing its lowest overall viewers since July 2015 (and its lowest in the 25-54 demographic since June 2001)” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 2Rivals rose: MS NOW's daytime audience grew 16% to 588,000 total viewers and CNN's rose 3% to 402,000. Raw StoryL “MS NOW is averaging 588,000 total day viewers, up 16% from last year” Read at Raw Story ↗ VarietyLC “CNN viewership was up 3% to 402,000 viewers over the same timeframe” Read at Variety ↗
Left · 2Fox News remains the most-watched cable news network by a wide margin and even beat ESPN in total day despite the return of football. VarietyLC “the network remains the most-watched news outlet on cable, well ahead of rivals CNN and MS NOW.” Read at Variety ↗ Raw StoryL “Fox News still dominates cable overall, even beating ESPN in total day despite the return of football” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Variety adds that Fox News's third-quarter 2026 total-day viewership fell 16% and its 25-54 viewership fell 24%, and that cable news viewing is declining overall. VarietyLC “In the third quarter of 2026, Fox News saw total-day viewership decline 16%, and viewership in the 25-54 demo fall 24%.” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1Status's Oliver Darcy called the decline a "flashing warning sign" for Trump and Republicans, though he noted ratings are not a scientific measure of voter enthusiasm. Raw Story also says the network conspicuously stopped airing Trump rallies live for a time, though it has aired them closer to the midterms, which Status read as reflecting Trump's low approval and weak draw. Raw StoryL “the eye-popping decline in Fox News’ audience should be a flashing warning sign for Trump and his Republican allies as voters prepare to head to the polls.”“the network conspicuously started declining to air Trump's rallies live.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1Variety notes that some observers see conservatives tuning out faster than CNN or MS NOW viewers, with control of the House and Senate at stake on 3 November, and that Trump complained in a 19 October Truth Social post that Fox was not backing Republicans strongly enough. Variety said it had asked Fox News for comment. VarietyLC “Some observers detect a worrisome sign in Fox News’ ratings decline that conservatives are tuning out at rates faster than CNN or MS NOW”“Variety has reached out to Fox News for comment.” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with the Nielsen decline ahead of the midterms. Raw Story ties it to Trump's weakening popularity; Variety balances the drop against Fox's continued dominance of cable news.
- Emphasis
- Raw Story stresses political implications and Trump rallies; Variety stresses the numbers, quarterly trend and Fox's lead over CNN and MS NOW.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither includes a Fox News response; Variety says it asked for comment. Neither offers independent evidence that the drop is caused by Trump's standing rather than wider TV viewing declines, which Variety mentions.
- Charged language
- “freefall”“eye-popping decline”“Staggering”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Preliminary Nielsen data, first reported by Status, put October 2026 as Fox News's lowest-rated month since December 2023.
- Fox News is down 27% in total viewers and 32% in the 25-54 demo year over year.
- MS NOW is up 16% and CNN up 3% in daytime viewers, but Fox News remains well ahead of both.
- "Fox & Friends" had its lowest total-viewer month since July 2015.
Where accounts differ
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What the ratings drop signals
- Left
- Raw Story presents it as a collapse tied to Trump's faltering popularity and shifting enthusiasm toward Democrats; Variety is more measured, stressing Fox's continued lead and noting that some observers see a worrying sign for conservatives.
Fox News organisation
No Fox News statement is reported; Variety says it asked for comment. Coverage notes Fox still leads cable news and beat ESPN in total day.
“Variety has reached out to Fox News for comment.” — Variety
Donald Trump person
Trump complained on Truth Social on 19 October that Fox spends more time on Democrats' views than on Republican opponents; Raw Story's source reads the ratings as reflecting his weak draw.
“Fox spends more time defending Dumocrats, and putting on their views versus their Republican opponent, than at any time in the History of FoxNews,” — Variety
Left2 articles
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Fox News ratings suffering 'eye-popping decline' as audience loses interest in Trump: data
Critical Presents the ratings fall as a political warning for Trump and Republicans, quoting Status's reading of the data and of Trump rallies.
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Mixed Reports the sharp decline while noting Fox's continued lead and the industry-wide viewing drop, with a note on Trump's criticism of the network.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 28 Oct 13:07 First Raw StoryL Fox News ratings suffering 'eye-popping decline' as audience loses interest in Trump: data
- 28 Oct 15:10 +2h 3m VarietyLC Fox News Ratings Sink a Staggering 27% in October, but It Still Has Much a Larger Audience Than CNN or MS NOW
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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