Fox Business Network has marked its seventh consecutive quarter as the number one network in business news.
While FBN dominated CNBC in Business Day viewers with six of the top seven business programs on cable, CNBC delivered four year lows in both the Total Day and Primetime dayparts.
As financial news dominated the headlines for the quarter, including mounting international trade tensions and market reactions to the North Korean summit, FBN saw its Business Day audience grow 17 percent over last year. Led by strong performances from anchors Stuart Varney, Neil Cavuto, Trish Regan, and Liz Claman, FBN’s Business Day came out 23 percent ahead of CNBC’s quarterly performance, delivering 203,000 total viewers compared to CNBC’s 165,000. In Total Day, FBN tied with CNBC, both delivering 146,000 viewers for the quarter.
Stuart Varney’s three-hour market-open show Varney & Co (9AM-12PM/ET) was the highest-rated market program in business television for the quarter (255,000), dominating CNBC’s Squawk on the Street/Squawk Alley (176,000) in total viewers for the eighth straight quarter. Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman (3PM/ET) also placed among the top three programs, delivering 193,000 total viewers for the quarter, continuing her reign as the highest-rated female business anchor on television.
FBN’s pre and post-market coverage also showed strong growth for the quarter. Lou Dobbs’ eponymous program Lou Dobbs Tonight continues to be the number one rated news program on business television in both total viewers (319,000) and the A25-54 demo (36,000), marking 10 consecutive quarters atop the 7PM/ET timeslot rankings.
Mornings with Maria (6-9AM/ET) anchored by Maria Bartiromo delivered a record breaking quarter in total viewers, outpacing CNBC’s Squawk Box for the first quarter ever with 109,000 total viewers compared to 104,000. Additionally, The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald (5PM/ET) and Making Money with Charles Payne (6PM/ET) both outpaced their CNBC competition for the seventh consecutive quarter.
While FBN’s ratings increased across the board, CNBC delivered its lowest rated quarter in both Total Day and Primetime viewers since August 2014. Furthermore, the network’s primetime programming, featuring the highly promoted debuts of Jay Leno’s Garage, Staten Island Hustle, and The Profit fell flat in the ratings. CNBC’s Primetime averaged only 284,000 total viewers for the quarter, down 12 percent compared to last year.
FBN closed out the month of June with its 13th consecutive monthly win over CNBC, topping the network in both Business Day and Total Day viewers. Averaging 194,000 total Business Day viewers, FBN was 29 percent higher than CNBC during Business Day for June which had 150,000 total viewers. In Total Day, FBN delivered 143,000 viewers compared to CNBC’s 139,000. Additionally, FBN grew its audience 6 percent in June, while CNBC saw declines in the Business Day, Total Day, and Primetime day parts since last year.