MS NOW Gains Momentum as Fox News Dominates Viewership Rankings Before Midterms
According to reporting from Adweek, MS NOW was the only cable news network to achieve growth across all time periods and demographics during the week of October 26, 2026. While Fox News maintained its lead in total viewership, the landscape shifted as networks prepared for the upcoming midterm elections with varying degrees of audience retention.
Context from Industry Pulse
The ratings for the week of October 26 reflect a shifting competitive landscape just before the midterm elections. While Fox News maintains the highest volume of total viewers and dominates the top program lists, its year-over-year declines suggest a cooling of its historical dominance. Conversely, MS NOW and CNN are showing massive year-over-year growth in the Adults 25-54 demographic, with MS NOW doubling its primetime demo audience since 2025. This indicates that while the total audience for legacy cable may be fluctuating, the specific demographic most valued by advertisers is concentrating more heavily on alternative networks compared to the previous year.
"MS NOW emerged as the only cable network that finished with gains in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during primetime and the total day."
Nielsen data reported by Adweek indicates a fragmented cable news market during the final week of October. MS NOW distinguished itself by being the sole network to increase its audience in both primetime and total day metrics among total viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demographic. Specifically, the network saw a five percent increase in primetime totals and a four percent rise in the total day demo compared to the previous week. This growth stands in contrast to year-over-year figures where MS NOW surged by 100 percent in primetime demo viewership.
Fox News continued its streak as the most-watched network in total day viewing, even as it experienced a six percent decline in that category from the prior week. Adweek highlights that Fox News was the only major news network to record double-digit growth in a specific category, posting a ten percent increase in primetime demo viewers. Despite this weekly gain, the network remains down significantly from its performance during the same period last year, dropping over 20 percent in both total viewers and the demo.
Individual program performance remained largely dominated by Fox News, which secured 12 of the top 15 slots for most-watched cable news shows. The Five led the industry with 2.74 million total viewers and 248,000 demo viewers. However, MS NOW and CNN found success with specific evening blocks. The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MS NOW ranked 13th overall, while CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip secured the ninth spot in the demo rankings.
CNN showed mixed results during the week, with total day viewership remaining flat while primetime numbers dipped slightly. Adweek notes that CNN found success in specific weekend windows, winning the primetime demo on Saturday, October 31, and the afternoon demo on Sunday, November 1. Compared to the previous year, CNN has seen a 40 percent rise in total primetime viewers and an 85 percent jump in the demo, marking a significant recovery even as it trails Fox News and MS NOW in total primetime audience.
The Industry Pulse Bottom Line
Advertisers should note MS NOW's consistent growth across all dayparts. While Fox News holds the largest raw audience, the rapid demographic expansion at MS NOW and CNN indicates shifting loyalty among younger news consumers.