Fact check: What are the current ratings for CNN compared to Fox News and MSNBC?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the most recent data available, Fox News maintains a commanding lead in cable news ratings across all key metrics. In the most recent week analyzed (August 4, 2025), Fox News averaged 2.29 million total primetime viewers, significantly outperforming MSNBC with 821,000 viewers and CNN with 450,000 viewers ^{[1] [2]}.

The 25-54 demographic (highly valued by advertisers) shows a similar pattern: Fox News leads with 217,000 viewers, followed by CNN with 78,000 and MSNBC with 73,000 ^{[1] [2]}. This represents a notable shift where CNN slightly edges out MSNBC in the key demographic despite having fewer total viewers.

Quarterly performance data from Q2 2025 reinforces Fox News's dominance, with the network averaging 2.63 million total primetime viewers compared to MSNBC's 1.01 million and CNN's 538,000 ^[3]. Fox News achieved what it claims was its "highest-rated quarter in cable news history" with 2.2 million weekday total day viewers ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The ratings data reveals several critical trends that provide important context:

All networks are experiencing significant audience decline. In July 2025, Fox News was down 30% from the previous year, MSNBC dropped 27%, and CNN plummeted 42% ^{[5] [6] [7]}. CNN's decline is particularly severe, with the network hitting "historic lows" and experiencing what former CNN staff described as "disastrously bad" performance ^[6].

The demographic breakdown tells a more nuanced story. While Fox News dominates total viewership, CNN has been performing slightly better than MSNBC in the crucial 25-54 demographic in recent weeks, despite having fewer overall viewers ^{[1] [2]}. This demographic is particularly valuable to advertisers and represents future audience potential.

Fox News's success extends beyond cable news competition. The network has begun "closing in on broadcast competition, overtaking ABC and NBC in viewers and crushing CBS" in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo ^[8]. Individual Fox News shows like "The Five" and "Jesse Watters Primetime" are drawing 3.85 million and 3.43 million viewers respectively, making them the top cable news programs ^[8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears neutral and factual, simply requesting current ratings comparisons. However, the framing could potentially obscure several important contextual factors:

The question doesn't account for the broader media landscape shift. All three networks are experiencing substantial audience erosion ^{[5] [6]}, suggesting viewers are migrating to other platforms or news sources entirely. Focusing solely on relative performance between these three networks may miss the larger story of traditional cable news decline.

The timing sensitivity isn't addressed. Ratings can fluctuate significantly week-to-week and month-to-month based on news cycles and events. The data shows variations between different time periods analyzed, from weekly snapshots to quarterly averages ^{[1] [3] [9]}.

The question doesn't distinguish between different dayparts. The analyses focus heavily on primetime ratings, but total day performance can tell a different story about overall network health and audience loyalty ^[4].