Channel beat ABC in weekday primetime in May, finishing with 2.8 million viewers to ABC's 2.7 million and posting the highest-rated May for a midterm election year in network history. The result gave Fox a clear monthly win at a time when ABC's primetime audience sank to its lowest May level of the 21st century among both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic.
Search interest around Abc Channel now is tied to that head-to-head result and to the broader picture behind it: Fox did not just edge ABC once, it controlled nearly 60% of the cable news audience share across total day and primetime in May. It also accounted for the top 85 cable news telecasts of the month, a stretch of dominance that put its weekday lineup at the center of the ratings conversation.
The numbers were especially strong in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 group, where Fox drew 210,000 viewers in May. The network said " Channel defeated ABC in weekday primetime and delivered the highest-rated May for a midterm election year in network history, according to data from Nielsen Media Research," adding that it had delivered "the highest-rated May for a midterm election year in the last month."
At the top of the schedule, "The Five" averaged 3.6 million viewers and 317,000 in the 25-54 demo, while "Jesse Watters Primetime" led cable news primetime at 8 p.m. ET with 3.1 million viewers. "Gutfeld!" averaged 2.9 million, "Hannity" drew 2.7 million, and "The Ingraham Angle" averaged 2.5 million, giving Fox a lineup that kept its advantage from hour to hour.
The one place the story turns from broad strength to a sharper comparison is Bret Baier's hour. "Special Report with Bret Baier" averaged 2.7 million viewers in May and led "CBS Evening News" in 19 top markets, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. It also beat ABC's "World News Tonight" in Jacksonville, New Orleans and Memphis, a reminder that Fox's gains were not confined to cable news loyalists alone.
said "The Five" continued to dominate across cable news, and the month backed that up. The network was number one on cable news with Asians, Hispanics and upscale viewers throughout total day in May, suggesting its audience strength reached well beyond one program or one time slot. What remains unanswered is why ABC's primetime collapsed even as Fox pulled away, but the May results leave little doubt about which channel had the stronger month.
