Fox Business Network ended August 2020 with double-digit year-over-year growth across Business Day, Market Hours and Total Day viewership while also delivering milestone highs across programming, according to Nielsen Media Research.
As viewers anticipated market reaction to the ongoing economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, FBN’s Business Day programming (9:30AM-5PM/ET) drew in 222,000 total viewers, and saw double-digit audience increases of 28 percent year-over-year. During the critical Market Hours (9AM-4PM/ET), FBN was up across the board with 225,000 total viewers (+26 percent), while the network’s Total Day (6AM-6AM/ET) average of 164,000 total viewers saw an increase of 33 percent compared to August 2019. All dayparts saw double-digit increases in the key A25-54 demo as well.
Additionally, while the network continued to provide viewers the latest developments on the economic hot-topics at the forefront of the 2020 presidential election, FBN hit record highs during its primetime coverage of the Republican National Convention.
On Thursday, August 27th, the network scored its highest-rated telecast since the 2016 presidential election. Anchored by Neil Cavuto, FBN’s Democracy 2020: Republican National Convention coverage drew in 1.2 million total viewers and 327,000 in the A25-54 demo, helping the FOX Business mark its highest-rated A25-54 demo month in primetime since December of 2016.
Meanwhile, CNBC saw its lowest-rated primetime month in the key A25-54 demo since August 2019.
FBN rounded out the month with nearly all programs seeing double-digit year-over-year audience gains in total viewers and the A25-54 demo. During the pivotal pre-market hours, Mornings with Maria (weekdays 6-9AM/ET) anchored by Maria Bartiromo nabbed its highest-rated month ever in the A25-54 demo (23,000), while also seeing a 54 percent increase in total viewers compared to last year.
Kicking off the network’s Business Day programming, Stuart Varney’s three-hour market-open program, Varney & Co. (weekdays 9AM-12PM/ET) garnered 261,000 total viewers, seeing a 17 percent increase year-over-year and placing among the top 10 programs on business television.
Meanwhile, Lou Dobbs’ signature evening analysis program Lou Dobbs Tonight (weekdays 5-6PM/ET) continued its reign in the 5PM/ET timeslot for the fifth consecutive month with 279,000 total viewers and a 29 percent advantage over the competition. Dobbs also saw its 56th straight win over CNBC during the program’s 7PM/ET encore hour.
In addition to Dobbs & Varney, FBN notched seven of the top 15 business programs on television. The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald (weekdays 6-7PM/ET), After the Bell co-anchored by Connell McShane and Melissa Francis (weekdays 4-5PM/ET), CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays 12-2PM/ET) anchored by Neil Cavuto, The Claman Countdown (weekdays 3-4PM/ET) anchored by Liz Claman, and Making Money with Charles Payne (weekdays 2-3PM/ET), all garnered double-digit audience gains in both total viewers and the A25-54, while ranking among the top 15 business programs on television.
FBN’s weekly primetime programs Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street (Fridays, 9-9:30 PM/ET), WSJ at Large (Fridays, 9:30-10 PM/ET) and Barron’s Roundtable hosted by Jack Otter (Fridays, 10:00-10:30 PM/ET) also saw double-digit growth year over year in the A25-54 demo.