These Are the Top-Rated Cable News Shows of 2022

Fox News, once again, dominated the cable news rankings in 2022. This time, however, it was The Five, not Tucker Carlson Tonight, which averaged the largest total audience on cable news with 3.42 million viewers at 5 p.m. The Five’s first place finish in 2022 marks the first time a non-primetime program was the most-watched show for a calendar year in cable news history.

Tucker Carlson Tonight ranked No. 2 in total viewers in 2022 (3.3 million), ahead of third-place Jesse Watters Primetime (2.86 million), the network’s newest offering. Hannity, meanwhile, dropped to No. 4 in total viewers, averaging 2.81 million in 2022. Hannity had been the the most-watched show on cable news from 2017-2020.

Overall, Fox News is home to nine of the 10 most-watched cable news shows of 2022, with MSNBC’s 9 p.m. hour falling to No. 10 after a fourth place finish in 2021. Rachel Maddow‘s move from daily to weekly put a substantial dent in the network’s primetime ratings. However, MSNBC was still able to beat rival CNN in the hour. The latter has still not named a permanent 9 p.m. host.

Speaking of CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 remained the network’s most-watched show, having averaged 868,000 total viewers in 2022 (No. 23 overall).

Below, the full regularly-scheduled weekday cable news ranker for 2022 (per Nielsen live plus same day data), sorted by average total viewers.

2022 Rankings			Nielsen Live+SD data
RANK	NETWORK	PROGRAM NAME	P2+AA (000)	#Tlc
1	FOXN	THE FIVE	3419	246
2	FOXN	TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT	3031	228
3	FOXN	JESSE WATTERS PRIMETIME	2857	200
4	FOXN	HANNITY	2811	214
5	FOXN	SPECIAL REPORT BRET BAIER	2511	244
6	FOXN	THE INGRAHAM ANGLE	2269	215
7	FOXN	GUTFELD!	2040	222
8	FOXN	OUTNUMBERED	1858	245
9	FOXN	AMERICA’S NEWSROOM	1761	496
10	MSNBC	ALEX WAGNER/ MADDOW	1756	186
11	FOXN	THE FAULKNER FOCUS	1744	253
12	FOXN	YOUR WORLD NEIL CAVUTO	1611	245
13	FOXN	AMERICA REPORTS	1592	481
14	FOXN	THE STORY MARTHA MACCALLUM	1576	246
15	MSNBC	LAST WORD LAWRENCE O’DONNELL	1442	234
16	FOXN	FOX AND FRIENDS	1376	737
17	MSNBC	ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES	1346	239
18	MSNBC	DEADLINE: WHITE HOUSE NICOLLE WALLACE	1341	253
19	MSNBC	THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER	1328	254
20	MSNBC	REIDOUT	1182	245
21	FOXN	FOX NEWS @ NIGHT	1117	259
22	MSNBC	THE 11TH HOUR STEPHANIE RUHLE	963	206
23	CNN	ANDERSON COOPER 360	868	317
24	MSNBC	MORNING JOE	865	436
25	CNN	LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER	809	435
26	MSNBC	HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS	797	245
27	CNN	ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT	790	244
28	MSNBC	KATY TUR REPORTS	749	244
29	MSNBC	CHRIS JANSING REPORTS	739	134
30	CNN	SITUATION ROOM WOLF BLITZER	735	315
31	CNN	INSIDE POLITICS	725	237
32	CNN	CNN NEWSROOM	707	1226
33	MSNBC	ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS	705	240
34	CNN	AT THIS HOUR KATE BOLDUAN	699	251
34	MSNBC	STEPHANIE RUHLE REPORTS	699	35
36	MSNBC	MSNBC REPORTS – LIVE	686	271
36	MSNBC	MTP DAILY	686	105
38	MSNBC	JOSE DIAZ BALART REPORTS	677	251
39	MSNBC	CRAIG MELVIN REPORTS	621	66
40	CNN	DON LEMON TONIGHT	619	371
41	CNN	CNN TONIGHT	583	238
42	FOXN	FOX & FRIENDS FIRST	556	494
43	CNN	CNN NEWSROOM LIVE	418	174
44	CNN	CNN THIS MORNING/NEW DAY	412	748
45	FBN	KUDLOW	313	243
46	MSNBC	WAY TOO EARLY JONATHAN LEMIRE	312	252
47	FBN	VARNEY & COMPANY	280	759
48	NEWSMAX	CRAIG KELLY REPORTS	258	255
49	NEWSMAX	STINCHFIELD	244	114
50	CNBC	FAST MONEY HALFTIME	236	251
51	CNBC	SQUAWK ON THE STREET	234	252
52	CNN	EARLY START	233	231
52	NEWSMAX	SPICER & CO	233	259
54	NEWSMAX	CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW	224	258
55	CNBC	NEWS W/ SHEPARD SMITH	220	223
56	NEWSMAX	THE BALANCE ERIC BOLLING	216	254
57	CNBC	CLOSING BELL	206	450
58	NEWSMAX	ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT	200	252
59	NEWSMAX	RECORD W/ GRETA VAN SUSTEREN	199	136
60	CNBC	THE EXCHANGE	197	251
60	CNBC	TECH CHECK	197	251
62	CNBC	POWER LUNCH	195	251
63	FBN	THE CLAMAN COUNTDOWN	174	253
65	CNBC	FAST MONEY MELISSA LEE	174	245
66	FBN	CAVUTO COAST TO COAST	170	506
66	FBN	EVENING EDIT LIZ MCDONALD	169	250
68	FBN	MAKING MONEY CHARLES PAYNE	169	251
69	HLN	MORNING EXPRESS ROBIN MEADE	164	1015
70	FBN	FOX BUSINESS TONIGHT	163	252
70	FBN	AMERICAN AGENDA	159	260
72	NEWSMAX	NATIONAL REPORT	159	260
73	NEWSMAX	JOHN BACHMAN NOW	156	260
74	CNBC	MAD MONEY JIM CRAMER	148	203
74	CNBC	OPTIONS ACTION	134	48
76	NEWSMAX	PRIME NEWS	134	220
77	HLN	MORNING EXPRESS	128	172
77	FBN	KENNEDY	117	201
77	FBN	MORNINGS WITH MARIA BARTIROMO	117	759
77	CNBC	SQUAWK BOX	117	252
80	FBN	MARIA BARTIROMO WALL STREET	107	50
81	FBN	HOW AMERICA WORKS	98	35
82	NEWSMAX	WAKE UP AMERICA	94	259
83	HLN	CNN/CNN THIS MORNING	88	42
84	FBN	WSJ AT LARGE GERRY BAKER	77	50
85	FBN	AMERICAN BUILT	72	74
86	FBN	AMERICAN DREAM HOME	56	74
87	CNBC	WORLDWIDE EXCHANGE	55	251
88	FBN	MANSION GLOBAL	45	74

Tucker Carlson Tonight remains the most popular show on cable news among adults 25-54 for the second consecutive year, averaging 517,000 viewers from the key measurement in 2022.

The Five leapfrogged Hannity into the No. 2 spot in the key A25-54 demo, behind his FNC colleague with an average of 461,000 adults 25-54 in the 5 p.m. hour. Hannity averaged 416,000 A25-54 at 9 p.m., with Jesse Watters Primetime (392,000) and The Ingraham Angle (355,000) and Special Report (355,000) rounding out the top five.

Fox News earned the top 15 spots in A25-54 this past year. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 is the top-rated non-Fox News show among adults 25-54, coming in at No. 16 by averaging 209,000 from the measurement; even ahead of MSNBC’s 9 p.m. hour.

2022 ADULTS 25-54 (Nielsen Live+SD data)

2022 (Adults 25-54)

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