The hosts of the summer’s highest-rated show, Fox News Channel’s ‘The Five’
Fox News
Fox News Channel had another hot summer. For the second year in a row, Fox News was the most-watched network in weekday prime time across June, July and August, beating out the broadcast networks–ABC, CBS and NBC–as well as all of its cable news competitors.
In August, Fox News drew an average total audience of 2.13 million viewers in weekday prime, well ahead of MS NOW (940,000 viewers) and CNN (624,000 viewers). The highest-rated show in August was The Five, with a total audience of 3.28 million viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (2.88 million viewers), Gutfeld! (2.5 million viewers), Special Report with Bret Baier (2.4 million viewers) and Hannity (2.34 million viewers)–all airing on Fox News Channel.
Historic lows for the broadcast networks
Across the three months of summer, Fox News averaged 2.56 million viewers in weekday prime, ahead of NBC (2.5 million viewers), ABC (2.3 million viewers), and CBS (2 million viewers). The broadcast networks have traditionally dominated prime time ratings with entertainment and sports programming, and the shift in viewership patterns may be part of Fox’s rise. CBS delivered its lowest-rated August on record, and August represented ABC’s lowest-rated month in weekday prime.
Throughout August, ABC and CBS struggled, with ABC hitting an all-time low in August among adults 25-54–the key demographic valued by advertisers–averaging just 344,000 viewers. CBS notched record lows for CBS Mornings, which had its second-lowest rated month ever (1.6 million viewers), and the struggling CBS Evening News failed to break 4 million viewers for the fifth straight month.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 15: Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Bret Baier speak during “Special Report With Bret Baier” at Fox News Channel Studios on July 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
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Fox expands its dominance beyond prime time
Of the top five, only two programs–Hannity and Jesse Watters Primetime–air during the prime time hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, when viewership is typically highest, signaling FNC’s growing power beyond its dominant prime time lineup. The Five airs at 5 p.m. ET, Special Report airs at 6 p.m., and Gutfeld! is Fox’s highly competitive entry in late night.
The Five’s incredible run at the top of the ratings included summer wins over some reliably high-rated shows, like NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, while Jesse Watters Primetime drew both high ratings and news coverage for Watters’ August 24 interview with Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
That interview drew 3.3 million viewers, leading all programming on the broadcast networks. The first half hour delivered an audience of 3.7 million viewers and 332,000 viewers in the key demo.
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