“They told us we would never last” – The Five and Jesse Watters SHATTER expectations as FOX News surges past ABC, NBC and CBS in primetime dominance while rivals MSNBC and CNN spiral into deeper struggle and face historic humiliation

The Five is no stranger to controversy, but this time the panel has rewritten television history. With Jesse Watters front and center, FOX News stormed past the so-called big three networks – ABC, NBC and CBS – pulling in primetime numbers that few believed were possible. Behind the ratings victory lies a stunning reality: traditional powerhouses are shrinking while FOX continues to tower over weekday primetime. What does this sudden dominance mean for the future of television, and can legacy networks recover from such a crushing blow? Watters himself has been unapologetic, mocking critics and pointing to the numbers as proof that the tide has fully turned.

The story of how The Five rose to this moment is more than just ratings – it’s a battle for cultural influence. Read the full article to discover why this win feels like only the beginning.

FOX News Channel surged past broadcast competition during the third quarter of 2025 and now leads all of television with weekday primetime viewers for the entire year.

FOX News Channel averaged 3.3 million weekday primetime viewers through September, compared to 3.1 million for CBS, 3.1 million for ABC and 3 million for NBC. Its weekday primetime also topped ESPN’s average audience of 2.1 million and dominated cable news options, as MSNBC managed 1.2 million and CNN settled for 641,000.

During the third quarter, FOX News averaged 1.6 million total day viewers compared to 492,000 for MSNBC and 396,000 for CNN. During primetime, FOX News dominated with 2.5 million total viewers, compared to 802,000 for MSNBC and 538,000 for CNN.

Sean Hannity finished the third quarter of 2025 strong, ending September as the No. 1 cable news program in the advertiser-coveted demo with 391,000 viewers during the month.  (FOX News Media)

This third quarter marked 95 consecutive quarters with FOX News finishing No. 1 in cable news among primetime viewers.

It was much of the same among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54, as FOX News averaged 159,000 total day demo viewers and 243,000 during primetime to trounce MSNBC and CNN combined. CNN recorded its lowest-rated quarter in network history among the demo for both total day and primetime, while MSNBC hit lows not seen since 1998.

“The Five,” with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.7 million total viewers to finish as the No. 1 cable news program. “The Five” is now the first non-primetime program to be the most watched for 16 consecutive quarters.

“Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Gutfeld!,” “Hannity,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “The Will Cain Show,” “Outnumbered,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino,” Martha MacCallum’s “The Story” and “America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith” all beat everything MSNBC and CNN had to offer as FOX News programs occupied the top 12 spots.

Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld. (FOX News Media)

MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” finished as the liberal network’s most-watched show. Maddow, MSNBC’s highest-paid star, only hosts her show on Mondays, whereas almost all other popular weekday cable news programs air five times per week.

CNN’s most-watched program was “Anderson Cooper 360,” averaging 616,000 viewers and finishing No. 23 among cable news programs.

“The Five” also finished atop the critical demo, averaging 338,000 viewers age 25-54 as FOX News programs swept the top 13 in the category.

The “FOX & Friends” franchise remained the most-watched cable morning shows throughout the quarter, with “FOX & Friends” and “FOX & Friends First” both dominating competition.

“Special Report with Bret Baier” dominated its timeslot in the third quarter of 2025. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

FOX News thumped competitors during the weekend, too, as Kayleigh McEnany’s newly launched “Saturday in America” and “My View with Lara Trump” each averaged 1.4 million viewers.

Maria Bartiromo’s “Sunday Morning Futures” took the Sunday crown with an average audience of 1.8 million viewers.

When it comes to the key demo, “FOX News Live” averaged 126,000 demo viewers to finish No. 1 on Saturdays and “The Sunday Briefing,” anchored by Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich, has averaged 186,000 through two weeks.

“FOX News @ Night,” “FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla,” “Life, Liberty & Levin,” “Sunday Night in America,” “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade” and “FOX & Friends Saturday” also had strong quarters.

“Hannity” finished September as the No. 1 cable news program in the demo with 391,000 viewers.

FOX News Channel also finished No. 1 in cable news among Hispanic and Asian viewers among total day during the third quarter.

Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.