Cable News Showdown: Fox News Dominates Friday, August 22nd Primetime

The highly competitive world of cable news saw Fox News once again asserting its formidable presence, sweeping both total viewers and the coveted A25-54 demographic during the evening hours of Friday, August 22, 2025. As the week drew to a close, the ratings landscape painted a clear picture of viewer preferences, with significant implications for the major networks.

During the crucial primetime block from 8 PM to 11 PM ET, Fox News delivered a commanding performance, drawing an impressive average of approximately 2.1 million total viewers.

This placed them firmly ahead of their competitors, MSNBC, which garnered around 1.2 million total viewers, and CNN, securing roughly 650,000 total viewers for the period.

The demographic battle, vital for advertisers, also saw Fox News leading the charge. In the A25-54 key demo, Fox News attracted an estimated 220,000 viewers.

MSNBC followed with approximately 110,000 demo viewers, while CNN registered close behind with around 100,000 viewers in the same category.

Drilling down to individual primetime programs, Fox News's lineup consistently outperformed. "The Ingraham Angle" at 8 PM ET kicked off the evening strong, capturing around 2.2 million total viewers and 230,000 in the 25-54 demo.

"Hannity" at 9 PM ET proved to be the network's top performer of the night, reaching an estimated 2.3 million total viewers and an impressive 240,000 demo viewers, solidifying its position as a ratings powerhouse. "Gutfeld!" at 10 PM ET rounded out primetime with approximately 2.0 million total viewers and 200,000 demo viewers, continuing its unique appeal.

MSNBC's primetime offerings showed consistent performance, with "All In with Chris Hayes" (8 PM ET) pulling in about 1.25 million total viewers and 115,000 in the demo.

"Alex Wagner Tonight" (9 PM ET) held steady with around 1.2 million total viewers and 110,000 demo viewers, while "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" (10 PM ET) concluded their evening block with roughly 1.15 million total viewers and 105,000 demo viewers.

CNN's primetime slate, while trailing, still maintained a notable audience.

"Anderson Cooper 360" (8 PM ET) brought in approximately 680,000 total viewers and 105,000 in the 25-54 demo. "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" (9 PM ET) garnered around 650,000 total viewers and 98,000 demo viewers. Finishing the night, "Laura Coates Live" (10 PM ET) attracted about 600,000 total viewers and 95,000 demo viewers.

Looking at the broader "Total Day" viewership (6 AM - 6 AM ET), the trends largely mirrored primetime.

Fox News continued its commanding lead with an average of approximately 1.3 million total viewers and 150,000 in the A25-54 demo. MSNBC secured the second spot with roughly 750,000 total viewers and 70,000 in the demo, while CNN came in third with around 500,000 total viewers and 60,000 in the A25-54 demo.

Friday, August 22, 2025, served as another testament to Fox News's enduring strength in the cable news landscape.

Their consistent appeal across both general viewership and the crucial demographic continues to set the pace for evening news programming, leaving competitors to strategize for future gains.