Fox News might not have been on the ballot during Tuesday’s midterms, but the network came away a big winner.
From 10 p.m. ET, when Fox’s co-hosts Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly were up against broadcast network coverage of the elections, FNC was the No. 1-rated news network in total viewers and the 25-54 demo, attracting 6,607,000 viewers and 1,825,000 25-54 demographic viewers.
Second place went to CBS’s broadcast co-anchored by Scott Pelley and Norah O’Donnell with 5,408,000 viewers and 1,548,000 demo viewers. Brian Williams and NBC News’ coverage ranked third, drawing 4,225,000 viewers and 1,484,000 demo viewers. ABC News’ special coverage anchored by George Stephanopoulos came in fourth place, garnering 3,147,000 viewers and 1,083,000 demo viewers.
CNN’s coverage — co-anchored by Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper along with dozens of reporters — placed fifth with 1,936,000 viewers and 912,000 demo viewers. MSNBC’s special, featuring Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews and Tom Brokaw’s phone alarm, finished last with 1,594,000 viewers and 566,000 demo viewers.
This was the first time Fox News has been victorious over broadcast networks’ election coverage in the younger 25-54 demo.
For primetime 8-11 p.m. ET, Fox News beat CNN and MSNBC combined in viewers and the demo: 6,310,000 viewers and 1,662,000 demo viewers for Fox; 2,107,000 viewers and 909,000 demo viewers for CNN; and 1,687,000 viewers and 525,000 demo viewers for MSNBC.
Compared to the 2010 midterm elections — aka the Tea Party wave — all the cable networks were down. MSNBC lost 13 percent in viewers and 22 percent in the demo; CNN was down 13 percent in viewers and 12 percent in the demo, and Fox News was down 9 percent in viewers and 33 percent in the demo.