This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of December 29, 2025.
Buoyed by its New Year’s Eve coverage, CNN was the most-watched cable news network for the week in the prized Adults 25-54 demo. However, the network finished behind Fox News in primetime total viewers and ranked No. 2 in total day across both measured categories.
On New Year’s Eve, between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. ET, CNN was the No. 1 cable network with 4.245 million total viewers and 1.775 million Adults 25-54 viewers. The network peaked between 12 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. ET on New Year’s Day, with 4.487 million total viewers and 1.839 million in the demo—its second-best performance in this time period since it began airing its annual special in 2007.
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According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of December 29, Fox News averaged 1.515 million total viewers and 139,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up +29% in total viewers and +40% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning December 22).
Fox News averaged 1.261 million total viewers and 126,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, it was up +28% in total viewers and +43% in the demo.
Fox News remained in second place in total primetime viewership and was in fifth place in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. In total day, it was the No.2 network in total viewers and the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 577,000 total viewers and 44,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. The network was down -5% in total viewers and -8% in the demo compared to its average the week prior during primetime.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 461,000 total viewers and 40,000 demo viewers. This translated to a +6% gain in total viewers and a +11% gain in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW was fifth in total primetime viewers and was No. 32 in the demo. It ranked third in total viewers and 19th in the total day demo.
CNN averaged 746,000 total primetime viewers and 184,000 A25-54 viewers in the demo during primetime for the week of December 29. The network was up triple digits by +129% in total viewers and +276% in the demo compared to the previous week.
In total day, the network had 530,000 total viewers and 114,000 viewers in the demo. CNN was up +67% in total viewers and +148% in the demo during this daypart.
Among all cable networks, CNN was in third place in total viewers and was No. 2 in the demo during primetime. It was in fourth place in total day among total viewers and finished third in the demo.
