Week of Nov. 3 Cable News Ratings: MSNBC and CNN Record Across-the-Board Growth

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of November 3, 2025.

Despite being an off-year election, interest in the various regional election contests across the country was high enough for the three cable news networks to register primetime growth in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo. MSNBC and CNN had triple-digit growth in the advertiser-coveted demo during primetime.

The two aforementioned networks also saw growth during total day in both measured categories. Fox News was the most-watched network in total viewers on election night, but it was also the only network to experience declines during total day.

NETWORKS:

According to Nielsen big data + panel, for the week of November 3, Fox News averaged 2.158 million total viewers and 220,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up +2% in total viewers and +14% in the demo compared to the week prior (the week beginning October 27).

Fox News averaged 1.412 million total viewers and 132,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing. Based on its average in those measurements from the previous week, it was down -2% in total viewers and -1% in the demo.

Fox News remained the No.1 network in total primetime viewership and stood pat in second place in the demo among all basic cable networks. In total day, it remained in first place in total viewers and in second place in the total day demo.

MSNBC, in primetime, averaged 1.261 million total viewers and 149,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. The network was up +65% in total viewers and +157% in the demo compared to its average the week prior during primetime.

During total day, MSNBC averaged 695,000 total viewers and 69,000 demo viewers. This represented gains of +33% in total viewers and +53% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC ranked third in total primetime viewers and leaped from No. 21 to No. 5 in the demo. It moved from third to second in total viewers and from 10th to seventh in the total day demo.

CNN averaged 786,000 total primetime viewers and 177,000 A25-54 viewers in the demo during primetime for the week of November 3. It registered gains of +77% in total viewers and +195% in the demo compared to the previous week.

In total day, the network had 487,000 total viewers and 91,000 viewers in the demo. This resulted in a +30% increase in total viewers and a +63% increase in the demo during this daypart.

Among all cable networks, CNN moved from fifth to fourth place in total viewers and from 13th to third in the demo during primetime. It remained in fourth place during total day with total viewers and was also in the No. 4 position in the demo.

When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago, which was election week:

During primetime, Fox News was down by -50% in total viewers and -75% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network saw decreases of -46% in total viewers and -72% in the demo.
MSNBC was down -20% in total viewers and -58% in the demo. During total day, the network was down -28% in total viewers and -59% in the demo.
In primetime, CNN declined by -36% in total viewers and -59% in the demo. During total day, it saw losses of -32% in total viewers and -58% 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 3.567 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MSNBC’s presence in the chart was courtesy of The Rachel Maddow Show, which aired at 9 p.m. ET on Mondays, taking the No. 8 position with 1.857 million total viewers. MSNBC was also represented in the chart by the 5 p.m. ET edition of Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace pulling in 1.316 million total viewers.

Hannity took the top spot in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 311,000 viewers at 9 p.m. ET. Fox News held 13 out of the 15 top spots in the demo, with MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, airing at 9 p.m. ET on Mondays, taking the 14th spot with 145,000 demo viewers. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 at 8 p.m. ET was the other non-Fox News show in the chart with 138,000 demo viewers.

Prime Time

	Fox News	MSNBC	CNN
• Total Viewers:	2,158,000	1,261,000	786,000
• A25-54:	220,000	149,000	177,000

Total Day

	Fox News	MSNBC	CNN
• Total Viewers:	1,412,000	695,000	487,000
• A25-54:	132,000	69,000	91,000

Week 11-3-25 P25-54 Cable Ranker BDP by Adweek