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What is the current viewership ratio of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox news?
Executive summary
Recent Nielsen-based reporting shows Fox News has frequently outpaced the three broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) in weekday primetime during 2025, but the relative ranking depends on the exact time window and metric chosen — for example, Fox News averaged about 3.63 million primetime viewers in a December–March window cited by TheWrap and TVInsider [1] [2], while quarterly and week-by-week figures show ABC, CBS or NBC leading in other measures such as evening newscasts or seven‑day delayed viewing [3] [4].
1. How “current viewership ratio” depends on the metric you pick
There is no single “viewership ratio” in the available reporting; different outlets cite different windows (daily, weekday primetime, quarterly averages, or single‑week snapshots) and different Nielsen products (live+same‑day, total day, primetime, or seven‑day plus big‑data). For instance, Fox News’s lead is reported for weekday primetime averages across early‑2025 (3.63 million) by TheWrap/TVInsider [1] [2], while ABC led certain broadcast evening newscasts in Q2 and week-of‑Nov.3 metrics [3] [4]. You must pick the metric before computing a “ratio” [1] [3].
2. Examples of reported head‑to‑head numbers (primetime and quarters)
Representative figures from the supplied reporting: Fox News averaged 3.63 million viewers in weekday primetime between Dec. 30 and March 11 in one Nielsen snapshot [2] [1]. Other summaries show close figures across networks for 2025-to‑date: Forbes reported Fox News 3.281M, ABC 3.252M, CBS 3.104M and NBC 3.087M in weekday prime since the start of the year [5]. Adweek and TheWrap’s Q2 reporting put Fox News’s Q2 primetime average at roughly 2.6–3.3M and said it surpassed ABC (2.977M) and NBC (2.704M) in that quarter [6] [7]. These numbers illustrate that differences are often modest and time‑window sensitive [5] [7].
3. Broadcast networks still lead on certain traditional metrics
While Fox News has beaten the broadcast nets in many primetime same‑day comparisons, broadcast networks retain advantages on some other measures. TVInsider and The Hollywood Reporter–cited Nielsen data show ABC, NBC and CBS posting large averages for nightly news and for broader quarterly totals (for example, ABC averaged 8.13M in Q1 and led evening news in some periods) — metrics where broadcast reach and seven‑day delayed viewing matter more [3] [4]. TheWrap notes broadcast execs emphasize seven‑day delayed/streaming audiences, which typically boost broadcast totals relative to live same‑day cable metrics [1].
4. Week‑to‑week swings and event effects matter a lot
Single‑week snapshots show sharp moves tied to sports, breaking news or programming cycles: Programming Insider’s Nov. 12 “Live + Same Day” day chart had NBC at 4.961M, Fox News 3.301M, CBS 3.100M and ABC 2.141M for that night [8]. Other nights — especially NFL, major sports or political events — produce very different rank orders [9] [4]. Analysts quoted by TheWrap warned that reruns, scheduling shifts and event programming can skew short‑term comparisons [1].
5. How to compute a “viewership ratio” if you want one
Decide the precise metric (e.g., weekday primetime average, Q2 primetime average, or live+same‑day nightly totals). Using Forbes’s “since the start of the year” primetime averages as an example, Fox News 3.281M vs. ABC 3.252M vs. CBS 3.104M vs. NBC 3.087M yields approximate ratios of Fox:ABC:CBS:NBC ≈ 1.01:1.00:0.95:0.95 [5]. Using TheWrap/TVInsider’s early‑2025 primetime snapshot where Fox News was 3.63M and ABC/NBC/CBS ranged ~3.12–3.57M changes the ratios noticeably but not dramatically [2] [1]. Any computed ratio is only as meaningful as the chosen window and Nielsen measure [1].
6. Competing narratives and possible agendas in the coverage
Outlet framing varies: trade press (TheWrap, TVInsider, Adweek) stress Nielsen methodology, seven‑day vs live splits and program scheduling as context [1] [7] [6]. Fox News’ own publicity emphasizes leading primetime numbers [10], while Forbes and TVInsider highlight the significance of Fox News approaching or exceeding broadcast totals [5] [2]. Be wary: networks and PR sources selectively emphasize the metric that flatters them most — TheWrap notes network spokespeople stress different measures to shape perceptions [1].
Limitations and next steps
Available sources cover various time windows and Nielsen products but do not provide a single, centrally published “current viewership ratio” for ABC:NBC:CBS:Fox News in one agreed metric; to produce a definitive ratio you must specify which Nielsen metric and date range to use [1] [5]. If you tell me whether you want weekday primetime, quarterly averages, or live+same‑day nightly totals, I will compute and show the exact ratio using the cited numbers above [2] [5] [8].