This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of April 7, 2025.
The chaos emanating from President Donald Trump‘s tariff roll-out didn’t necessarily cause a spike in cable news viewership among total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo.
The three cable networks mostly recorded declines in both measured categories during both dayparts, prime and total day compared to the week prior.
However, CNN did see some positive traction on Wednesday and Thursday as its two town halls improved the network’s positioning with total viewers during primetime. CNN also saw week-to-week gains in the demo during total day.
CNBC was the one network outside of the big three to benefit from coverage of the tariffs and the stock market. For the second consecutive week, the network topped Fox Business among total viewers during business day hours (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET) with 233,000 versus 221,000 total viewers. It was CNBC’s highest-rated week in over three years in that category, as well as the network’s highest-rated week in the demo in four years.
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Nielsen Live Plus same-day data saw FNC average 2.730 million total viewers and 321,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was down -3% in total viewers and -4% in the demo relative to the week prior.
Fox News averaged 1.683 million total viewers and 212,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing. Week-to-week it was down a respective -4% and -5% in those measured categories.
Fox News landed in first place in total primetime viewers and was the second most-watched network in the demo among all basic cable networks. In total day, it remained No. 1 in both total viewers and the demo.
MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 1.202 million total viewers and 101,000 A25-54 viewers for declines of -3% in the former category and -11% in the latter. It was the only network to register double-digit losses in either of the measured categories.
During total day, MSNBC averaged 669,000 total viewers and 63,000 demo viewers. It was down a respective -5% and -9% in those measured categories compared to the previous week.
MSNBC landed in second place in total primetime viewers and fell from No. 9 from No. 13 in the demo. During total day, it remained in second place in total viewers and dropped from No. 8 to No. 11 in the demo.
In primetime, CNN averaged 584,000 total viewers and 113,000 A25-54 viewers. Week-to-week the network saw a gain of +2% in the former category, but a -1% dip in the latter. Across total day, CNN saw 440,000 total viewers and 77,000 A25-54 viewers for a decline of -2% in the former category and a +1% gain in the latter. It was the only one of the big three news network to record a positive gain in one of the measured categories in both dayparts.
