Week of Aug 3 Cable News Ratings: CNN Has Across-the-Board Gains

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Week of Aug 3 Cable News Ratings: CNN Has Across-the-Board Gains

Fox News remained the most-watched cable network in both measured categories

By Mark Mwachiro

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of Aug. 3, 2026.

CNN started off August as the only big three cable news network to have growth in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during primetime and total day. Impressively, CNN and MSNBC saw double-digit growth in the prized demo during primetime, with both networks exceeding the 100,000-viewer mark.

Fox News, which continues to be the most-watched cable network in both measured categories, was the only one to see double-digit growth in the total day demo.

According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of Aug. 3, Fox News averaged 2.21 million total viewers and 211,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network fell by -5% in total viewers but grew by +9% in the demo compared to the week prior ( the week beginning July 27 ).

During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.411 million total viewers and 137,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on its average from the previous week’s measurements, the network declined by -4% in total viewers but was up +11% in the demo.

Fox News continued to rank first in total primetime viewership and was also in the top spot in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. During total day, it also finished first in total viewers and in the total day demo.

MS NOW averaged 995,000 total viewers and 103,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. The network was flat in total viewers and up +18% in the demo compared to its primetime average the week prior.

During total day, MS NOW averaged 618,000 total viewers and 65,000 demo viewers. It was also flat in total viewers and grew by +7% in the demo compared to the network’s average the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW was second in total primetime viewers and finished 14th in the demo. It was also second in total viewers and ninth in the total day demo.

CNN averaged 667,000 total primetime viewers and 114,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime for the week of Aug. 3. The network had gains of +5% in total viewers and +13% in the demo compared to the previous week.

During total day, the network had 473,000 total viewers and 72,000 viewers in the demo. CNN had a +2% gain in total viewers and a +6% gain in the demo during this daypart—the only network with across-the-board gains in both dayparts.

Among all cable networks, CNN finished fourth in total viewers and ninth, tied with Adult Swim, in the demo during primetime. It was No. 3 in total day among total viewers and No. 5 in the demo, tied with FX.

When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago :

Fox News had 14 out of the 15 spots of the most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five leading the way with 3.35 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by The Rachel Maddow Show, airing on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET, with 2.004 million total viewers at No. 7.

The Five ranked No. 1 in the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 305,000 viewers. Fox News held 13 of the 15 top spots in the demo, with MS NOW represented by The Rachel Maddow Show, which drew 193,000 viewers in the No. 6 position, and CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip , airing five days a week at 10 p.m. ET, finishing with 164,000 viewers to take the No. 10 position.

August 3, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):

Week 8-3-26 Cable Ranker P25-54 BDP by Adweek

Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022. Based out of New York, Mark has also contributed to ADWEEK.

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CBS Evening News was down in both categories

GMA saw gains in both measured categories

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