MS NOW and CNN scored a ratings victory over Fox News on Election Night as Democrats swept to power in Congress, while NBC News dominated the television competition overall.

Fox News Channel lost more than a quarter of its audience in October compared with a year earlier, falling to historic ratings lows as competitors MS NOW and CNN posted gains ahead of next week's midterm elections.

As for September viewership, Fox News' The Five held the top spot, averaging 2.79 million total viewers and 273,000 demo viewers. MS NOW's top-tanked program was The Rachel Maddow Show with 1.79 million total viewers and 186,000 demo viewers. CNN's top show was NewsNight with Abby Phillip, averaging 610,000 total viewers.

"Disparaging journalism is a far more central part of Fox News programming than it is of either MSNBC or CNN programming."

Fox News again topped October ratings by a wide margin, but its viewership fell during the month when compared to the same period in 2025. MS NOW and CNN, meanwhile, showed gains, likely driven by the approaching midterms.

FOX News has maintained its grip on cable news ratings, pulling in more viewers than its two biggest rivals combined despite suffering a staggering 27 percent audience drop. The network’s

A highly contentious midterm election is contributing to higher ratings for many news brands. But not at the Fox News Channel.

CNN, NBC on top with their coverage of the historic night.