In the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections, Fox News shed more than a quarter of its overall audience in October, according to Nielsen data, though it continues to be the most-watched cable news outlet, far ahead of CNN and MS NOW.
Preliminary Nielsen figures reported by Status show Fox News on track for its lowest-rated month since December 2023, averaging 1.1 million total-day viewers in October 2026, a 27% decline, and 98,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic, down 32%.
The slide occurs as overall TV viewership falls, but Fox News has been losing viewers at a double-digit rate while CNN and MS NOW posted modest gains in recent months. Variety notes that Fox often draws larger live audiences than some broadcast networks, yet its viewership eroded 16% overall and 24% in the 25-54 demo in Q3 2026, whereas both rivals saw small audience increases.
During primetime, Fox averaged about 2 million total viewers in October, down 28% year over year, with the 25-54 demo falling 36% to 183,000. The "Fox & Friends" block recorded its second straight month under 1 million total viewers and under 100,000 in the key demo, marking the lowest audience since July 2015 and the lowest 25-54 numbers since June 2001.
In contrast, progressive competitor MS NOW saw its daytime audience rise 16% to 588,000 total viewers, and CNN's viewership grew 3% to 402,000, based on the same Nielsen data.
Variety has reached out to Fox News for comment.
Some observers see the ratings drop as a warning sign that conservatives are disengaging faster than viewers of CNN or MS NOW ahead of the Senate and House races slated for Nov. 3.
President Donald Trump, whose relationship with Fox has been mixed, recently complained the network isn't supporting Republicans enough.
"Fox spends more time defending Dumocrats, and putting on their views versus their Republican opponent, than at any time in the History of FoxNews," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Oct. 19. "It's ridiculous! FoxNews is trying too hard to be Politically Correct!"
