Fox News Dominates Primetime Viewership, Proposes Trump-Harris Debate

Fox News Channel has seen a surge in viewership following the presidential debate last month, and has proposed hosting a debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Fox News Channel has emerged as a dominant force in primetime viewership following last month's presidential debate, crushing the competition from MSNBC and CNN. From June 27 to July 21, Fox News averaged a remarkable four million total weeknight primetime viewers, far surpassing the combined viewership of MSNBC (1.3 million) and CNN (1.1 million).

This surge in viewership extends beyond cable options, as Fox News also outpaced the broadcast networks NBC (three million), ABC (2.6 million), and CBS (2.3 million) during the same period.

Fox News Dominates Primetime Viewership, Proposes Trump-Harris Debate

Fox News' success is particularly evident in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54. The network averaged 583,000 weeknight primetime viewers in this key demo, while CNN and MSNBC struggled with averages of 311,000 and 141,000 demo viewers, respectively.

Including weekend primetime viewership, Fox News maintained its dominance with an average of 3.6 million viewers for the entire week, again surpassing MSNBC and CNN combined.

Fox News Dominates Primetime Viewership, Proposes Trump-Harris Debate

Since the CNN Presidential debate, where President Biden's performance shocked the nation and ultimately led to his exit from the race, Fox News has become the country's most-watched news network. Notable events covered by the network since then include the assassination attempt on former President Trump, the Republican National Committee convention, and the selection of Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Recognizing the shift in the race, FOX News Media has formally proposed hosting a debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. The letters sent to each campaign propose a debate in the state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 17, just as early voting begins in key battleground states.

Fox News Dominates Primetime Viewership, Proposes Trump-Harris Debate

Fox News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace and FOX News Vice President of Politics Jessica Loker emphasized the network's belief that Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are the ideal moderators for such a debate.

Fox News' proposal underscores the network's commitment to providing comprehensive coverage of the historic 2024 presidential election. As the race heats up, Fox News is poised to remain the go-to network for breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive interviews with leading figures from both sides of the aisle.

Fox News Dominates Primetime Viewership, Proposes Trump-Harris Debate