Week of July 6 Cable News Ratings: MS NOW Grows in Demo and Viewers
This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of July 6, 2026.
MS NOW finished the first full week of July as the only network with gains in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during primetime and total day. Making it even more impressive was that the network was up by double digits in both measured categories during primetime.
Meanwhile, Fox News and CNN came down from their Independence Day celebration coverage highs to finish the week down across the board. However, Fox News was still the most-watched cable news network.
This week also featured the cable news networks covering the shocking news of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham’s passing early Sunday morning. MS NOW was the first to break the news at 2:49 a.m. ET, followed by Fox News at 2:52 a.m. ET, and not too far behind at CNN at 2:53 a.m. ET.
NETWORKS:
According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of July 6, Fox News averaged 2.109 million total viewers and 164,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was down -15% in total viewers and -25% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning June 29).
During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.429 million total viewers and 127,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, the network was down -12% in total viewers and -17% in the demo.
Fox News remained in first place in total primetime viewership and slipped to third in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. During total day, it continued to be No. 1 in total viewers and was second in the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 1.028 million total viewers and 94,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week. The network grew by +11% in total viewers and +19% in the demo compared to its primetime average the week prior.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 606,000 total viewers and 59,000 demo viewers. It was up +2% in total viewers and +4% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior—the only network to gain viewers in both categories across the two measured dayparts.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW finished in second place in total primetime viewers and was 15th in the demo. It was No. 2 in total viewers and in ninth place in the total day demo.
CNN averaged 582,00 total primetime viewers and 95,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for the week of July 6. The network saw declines of -13% in total viewers and -8% in the demo compared to the previous week.
During total day, the network had 442,000 total viewers and 58,000 viewers in the demo. CNN was down by -4% in total viewers and -3% in the demo during this daypart.
Among all cable networks, CNN dropped from third to fifth in total viewers and was 14th in the demo during primetime. It remained in fourth place in total day among total viewers and was 10th in the demo.
When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago:
- During primetime, Fox News was down -13% in total viewers and -37% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network posted losses of -7% in total viewers and -33% in the demo.
- MS NOW was up +16% in total viewers and +9% in the demo. During total day, the network grew by +14% in total viewers and +13% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN saw gains of +20% in total viewers and +7% in the demo. During total day, it grew by +20% in total viewers but was down -5% in the demo.
PROGRAMMING:
Fox News had 13 out of the 15 spots of the most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five on top with 3.331 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by the Monday airing of The Rachel Maddow Show at 9 p.m. ET, with 1.829 million total viewers at No. 8, and by The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, airing weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, with 1.396 million total viewers at No. 15.
The Five also finished first in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 279,000 viewers at 5 p.m. ET. Fox News held 13 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with The Rachel Maddow Show in 14th place with 141,000 viewers. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell finished with 134,000 viewers at No. 15.
July 6, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 2,109,000 | 1,028,000 | 582,000 |
| • A25-54: | 164,000 | 94,000 | 95,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,429,000 | 606,000 | 442,000 |
| • A25-54: | 127,000 | 59,000 | 58,000 |
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