Fox News' 2009 Ratings Records: Network Sees Best Year Ever

2009 was a record year for the Fox News Channel.

The News Corp-owned cable news outlet has just finished its best year among total viewers in its 13-plus year history.

Fox News averaged 2.187 million total viewers in primetime for the year, up 7% from 2008 and enough to place 3rd among all cable channels. In total day, the network averaged 1.192 million total viewers, up 13% from 2008 and enough to place 5th among all cable channels. In the A25-54 demo, the network was up as well: its 540,000 A25-54 total in weekday primetime is up 9% from 2008, and its 319,000 A25-54 weekday total-day average is up 16% from 2008.

Both CNN and MSNBC, meanwhile, are down significantly in all categories.

On the program level, Fox News took the top 10 programs in cable news for the year. "The O'Reilly Factor" again took first place and registered its highest viewers numbers ever, averaging 3.329 million total viewers (up 14% from 2008) and 801,000 A25-54 viewers (up 28%). "Hannity" came in second with an average of 2.502 million total viewers (up 14%) and 654,000 A25-54 viewers (up 22%), also its highest numbers ever in both categories. "Glenn Beck" placed third with 2.320 million total viewers (up 91%) and 581,000 A25-54 viewers (up 135%).

But its not just the network's conservative opinion commentators that are having their best years ever. The network's signature news programs — "Special Report with Bret Baier," "The Fox Report with Shepard Smith," "Studio B with Shepard Smith," and "Your World with Neil Cavuto" — also had their best years ever among total viewers.

"Special Report" averaged 2.037 million total viewers (up 26%) and 454,000 A25-54 viewers (up 34%). "The Fox Report" averaged 1.872 million total viewers (up 16%) and 456,000 A25-54 viewers (up 21%). "Studio B" averaged 1.213 million total viewers (up 10%) and 268,000 A25-54 viewers (up 14%). And "Your World" averaged 1.478 million total viewers (up 25%) and 303,000 A25-54 viewers (up 31%).

"On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" was also up, averaging 1.976 million total viewers (up 11%) and 514,000 A25-54 viewers (up 12%).

2009 Cable News Program Ranker

2009 Cable News Program Ranker -

2009 Cable Network Ranker

2009 Cable Network Ranker -

Comments

[Dangerous Dan]

01:11 PM on 01/08/2010

CABLE NEWS RACE
WEDS., JAN 6, 2010

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,919,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,611,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,609,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,182,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,154,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,005,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,085,000
CNNHN GRACE 983,000
MSNBC MADDOW 983,000
CNNHN BEHAR 689,000
CNN KING 656,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 615,000
CNN COOPER 590,000


Go figure!

[protagonia]

12:32 PM on 01/04/2010

What goes up...

[nolalily]

10:08 AM on 01/04/2010

The right is all about loyalty, feeling persecuted and revenge. Those are pretty strong motivators. No wonder FOX has loyal viewers who check in day after day, night after night and never get tired of being lied to.

I think other news stations don't fair as well because normal people don't care to flame the fires all the time when it comes to their emotions. Sometimes, one has just had enough.

[leftylou]

07:33 PM on 01/03/2010

fox is a place for people who hate minorities and the left, to go and watch 6 shows about bashing minorities and the left, from people who hate minorities and the left.

[ordinarydude]

10:07 AM on 01/04/2010

I live in Ireland and the only American news channel I get is Fox News. I watch it and I can attest that there isn't any minority bashing. They certainly have many personalities that challenge the leftist viewpoint, but that seems quite a healthy thing.

[ACMallet]

12:20 PM on 01/04/2010

You must hate Fox or you will be drummed off this blog.

[DazedandConfused]

12:25 PM on 01/03/2010

There are roughly 300million people in the U.S. So the real story is that only a small percentage of people watch any cable news. Of course, you won't get any of these cable news networks to say that. But that's the story. Who cares that FOX is ahead of CNN and MSNBC? I'd be surprised if it wasn't ahead. CNN and MSNBC split the liberal and moderate voters. FOX caters to the right. It all makes sense. No news here.

[Dangerous Dan]

01:16 PM on 01/08/2010

Yes, it is a shame that this story is not about the decline of network news or newspaper circulation or it would have a greater impact.

[yngskywlkr]

01:08 AM on 01/03/2010

It seems like every other day I get the "Fox news have the best rating ever" routine and frankly that seems to be the only actual news coming out of that channel.

I mean I see a story some where, click on it and it takes me to the source (new york times, nbc, cnn). The only time I ever hear about Fox in any context other than watching the channel itself is to inform us how well they are doing.

[theguyfromchesapeake]

07:00 PM on 01/02/2010

Lets see here. Should I watch Fox or access, say, the Huffington Post for news and commentary? All of the other TV networks, as well as the vast majority of the print media (not to mention Hollywood and most of academia) spew out the same discourse and tread the same way politically and socitetally (is that an actual word? I hope it is!). You have one, repeat, ONE, network that dares to offer something different, and they are wildly successful.

Maybe MSNBC, among others, should re-evaluate how they do things. That used to be a decent channel to watch, and they offered more than just the uber leftist worldview. but those days are long gone. Any viewing of Olberman is nothing but 59 minutes (out of 60) that repeats "I hate Fox news", I hate O'Reilly", "I hate Hannity", etc., etc. There's nothing to get excited about with those other netowrks. They know that, and they hate that, and the leftists participants on boards here hate that as well. That is reality, as is Fox's success!

[Banger]

08:08 AM on 01/02/2010

The reason that FOX News does so well is there NEWS shows are much better than all the other channels and their entertainment shows , O'Reilly etc., are better managed , produced and factual than the hate and rancor of shows on MSNBC etc. They have become unwatchable as they are very one sided. What made our country great is looking at facts and acting , not trying to destroy anyone who disagrees with your opinion. I hope everyone has a Happy and Healthy New Year.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

08:42 PM on 12/31/2009

Another year passed without my having seen a FOX news program. Did I miss anything?

[ECB]

05:31 PM on 12/31/2009

Fox, has more viewers than their viewers have teeth.

[ECB]

02:55 PM on 12/31/2009

Fox viewers don't own computers and can't read and it's gets boring dating your cousins. Sooooooooooooooooooo they watch TV all day and night.

[ClearingtheAir2010]

12:00 PM on 12/31/2009

Too many unemployed republicans in this country, collecting their gov't checks and watching tv all day.

[ldmason45]

12:07 PM on 12/31/2009

Please give me the facts, polls or surveys that prove that people who watch FOX News are unemployed repubs collecting their gov't checks and watching tv all day. Can you give me a web site that has FACTUAL INFO that backs up your unfounded claims? I didn't think so. You can repeat a lie as much as you want but that doesn't make it true.

[ClearingtheAir2010]

12:14 PM on 12/31/2009

Too many unemployed republicans in this country, collecting their gov't checks and watching tv all day.

[ECB]

02:52 PM on 12/31/2009

Hurry up short bus the library is about to close.

[enigmamj]

07:32 AM on 12/31/2009

Frankly all the cable news channels are sad. Fox is for the right wing fanatics. MSNBC is for the left wing fanatics.(and those who like prison shows) CNN is pretty dull, but sometimes tries to deliver news without foaming out the right or left side of the mouth.

[ProfessorDuh]

10:30 AM on 12/31/2009

There's something beyond "bias," and that is propaganda. MSNBC does not lie. Fox News does.
For example, Bill O'Reilly falsely claimed that WWII U.S. troops had committed atrocities at Malmedy as an attempt to justify contemporary atrocities by U.S. troops, then had Malmedy changed to "Normandy" in the transcript in a clumsy attempt to cover up his tracks.
O'Reilly's Malmedy incident was, initially, a particularly nasty lie that maligned U.S. troops in an attempt to explain away Republican policies of torture and war crime. The scrubbing of the transcript was a SECOND LIE designed to hide the first after it was exposed. Any scrubbing of transcripts is a prima facie lie that violates any standard of professional journalism.

[brahdog]

11:30 PM on 01/01/2010

curious, what exactly is fanatical about the left wing these days?

[ebanks84]

10:41 PM on 12/30/2009

Just heard on CNN that Rush Limbaugh has been rushed to the hospital with chest pains. They said it was serious. That's all I know.

[BMinDC]

08:57 PM on 12/30/2009

The way ratings are collected is obsolete. Ratings have nothing to do with quality of journalism, either. If they did then the new host of On the Record would be Spongebob Squarepants (Or possibly Hannity & Squarepants?).

[ebanks84]

10:40 PM on 12/30/2009

Ain't that the truth. How many people can say they've ever done a Nielsen rating before? Not many so that process is as old as the hills.

[BMinDC]

11:14 PM on 12/30/2009

Nobody I know has ever gotten one. I think they must be sending them all to RNC Headquarters.