Fox News’ average (5,694,000) beat out each of the major broadcast networks.
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Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation hearing on Thursday enticed a substantial portion of the American public to watch.
According to Nielsen data from CNN Money, major cable news networks saw increases as nearly 20 percent of U. S. households with televisions tuned in to watch the hearings.
The dramatic increase was evident in Fox News’ ratings, which showed its 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Kavanaugh coverage beating the season premiere of the hit television show “Grey’s Anatomy” (6,812,000 in total viewers) at 8 p.m. that day.
CBS’ revival of “Murphy Brown,” which also premiered during primetime, didn’t reach Fox News’ ratings high either. With 7,504,000 average total viewers, the program grabbed ratings just under Fox’s 7,507,000 during the 5 p.m. time slot and 7,551,000 during the 6 p.m. time slot.
From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on that day, Fox News’ viewer average (5,694,000) beat out each of the major broadcast networks’ (ABC, NBC, CBS) — each under 4 million.
That represented a 253 percent increase in total viewers compared to the network’s third quarter average. In the key 25-54 age demographic, Fox News also saw a 275 percent increase in viewership.
Although CNN and MSNBC trailed Fox News significantly during the day, the networks reportedly saw their own gains in viewership.
CNN received 2,515,000 in average total viewers during the 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. time period. MSNBC bested the network, however, with an average of 2,892,000 total viewers.
Kavanaugh’s hearing that day focused on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in the 1980s. When Fox News interviewed Kavanaugh about the multiple allegations he faces, host Martha MacCallum earned her highest ratings yet for her show “The Story.”
Sam is a writer with IJR. Prior to joining IJR, Sam wrote for The Washington Free Beacon and Media Research Center. His work has been cited or feature… more
