In Fox Business Networks’ own words, they trounced CNBC across Business Day and Market Hours, in addition to claiming the top three programs on business television for January 2020.
The network’s strong start to the year also delivered placements among the top three programs on business television. Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs Tonight (weekdays 7-8PM/ET), Varney & Co. (weekdays 9AM-12PM/ET), and Trish Regan Primetime (8-9PM/ET) finished first, second, and third place on the business television ranker for the month, respectively, while also seeing double-digit growth year over year.
Continuing as the number one market program on television, Varney & Co. saw a 27 percent advantage in total viewers as it outperformed CNBC for the fourth consecutive month. The show drew in 276,000 total viewers compared to Squawk on the Street/Squawk Alley’s 217,000. Lou Dobbs’ signature evening analysis program Lou Dobbs Tonight also continued its reign as the number one business show on television and marked its 49th month winning the 7PM/ET hour of business television. Scoring 408,000 total viewers, the program nabbed a 185 percent advantage over CNBC.
As viewers anticipated futures in a new decade, along with market reaction to phase one of the China trade deal and impeachment proceedings, FBN’s Business Day programming (9:30AM-5PM/ET) drew in 207,000 total viewers compared to CNBC’s 203,000. The month marked the network’s highest rated in Business Day since November 2018 and saw audience increases of 5 percent year over year.
FBN’s core Business Day programs including CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays 12-2PM/ET) anchored by Neil Cavuto and Making Money with Charles Payne (weekdays 2-3PM/ET) also hit ratings milestones, each notching their highest rated months since 2018 in total viewership. During the critical Market Hours (9:30AM-4PM/ET), FBN programming was up across the board with 213,000 total viewers, outpacing CNBC’s 204,000 by 7 percent. FBN drew in 153,000 total viewers and 17,000 A25-54 in Total Day Viewership (6AM-6AM/ET).
Notably, Maria Bartiromo’s signature pre-market program Mornings with Maria (weekdays 6-9AM/ET) ended the month with 101,000 total viewers across the live three-hour program, starting off the year with a win over CNBC’s Squawk Box. Additionally, the program saw 20 percent growth in total viewership year over year.
During post-market coverage, FBN’s Bulls & Bears (weekdays 5-6PM/ET) and The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald (weekdays 6-7PM/ET) both trounced the competition in their respective hours. Hosted by David Asman, Bulls & Bears averaged 170,000 total viewers compared to CNBC’s 164,000 and notched its highest-rated month ever while The Evening Edit earned a 22 percent viewership advantage in its timeslot. The network’s early prime coverage (5-8PM/ET) also saw double-digit viewer increases across the board.
FBN’s primetime programming delivered double-digit increases across the board during the month of January. Following Lou Dobbs’ lead in the 7PM/ET hour, Trish Regan Primetime dominated at 8PM/ET with 262,000 total viewers, while Regan also scored the program’s highest rated month ever in total viewers and the key demo. Following Primetime, FBN’s Kennedy ushered in the network’s highest rated 9PM/ET hour ever with 149,000 total viewers.