Fox Business Network (FBN) finished 2018 with its second consecutive yearly win over CNBC in Business Day viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
As the intersection of business news and Washington policy dominated headlines in 2018, FBN scored its highest rated year ever across Business Day and Total Day in total viewers. In addition, FBN delivered five of the six top rated programs of the year in all of business television.
In commenting on the network’s ratings, President of FBN Brian Jones said, “Throughout this past year, Fox Business has once again provided viewers exceptional analysis and insight on how tax, trade, and economic policy impact their families and wallets. With headline making journalists covering the longest bull market in history, ongoing international trade discussions, and breaking financial news, the experienced anchors, reporters and producers at FBN continued to prove their dominance in the business television landscape.”
While CNBC recorded its second lowest rated year in the past 25 years with the key demo, FBN saw audience growth across Business Day and Total Day viewers over last year. In Business Day viewership, FBN was up 9 percent in total viewers (214,000) compared to 2017 and drew in 25,000 viewers from the key demo. In Total Day, FBN was up 3 percent in total viewers (150,000) while CNBC was down 2 percent in total viewers (154,000) and saw a loss of 12% in key A25-54 demo viewership (45,000).
Following the debut of FBN’s primetime lineup expansion on October 15th, the premiere of Trish Regan Primetime (weekdays, 8PM/ET) and shift of Kennedy to the 9PM/ET hour brought double-digit increases of 56 percent and 10 percent to the 8PM and 9PM/ET hours on the channel, respectively.
FBN’s pre-market and market close coverage all saw program highs in their respective timeslots with total viewers. Maria Bartiromo’s signature pre-market program Mornings with Maria (6-9AM/ET) marked its first yearly win over CNBC’s Squawk Box with 105,000 total viewers compared to CNBC’s 103,000. Bartiromo saw an increase of 22 percent in total viewers compared to 2017.
Additionally, FBN’s Varney & Co (9AM/ET-12PM/ET) topped CNBC’s Squawk on the Street/Squawk Alley in total viewers across all three hours for the second consecutive year with 265,000 viewers (up 10 percent), and 33,000 in the demo (up 18 percent). During market hours, CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays, 12-2pm/ET) and Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman continued their reign over the CNBC competition for the second consecutive year.
Marking three consecutive years as the leader in business news, Lou Dobbs Tonight (7PM/ET) delivered the year’s number one rated program in business television across total viewers (345,000). Along with Dobbs, FBN’s Varney & Co (9AM/ET-12PM/ET), Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman (3PM/ET), After the Bell (4PM/ET) and CAVUTO Coast to Coast (12-2PM/ET), claimed the top five of six most-watched business news program ranker for the year.