Cable News Viewership is Suffering Major Declines in 2025

The cable news industry is experiencing a dramatic shift as viewers abandon traditional television in record numbers.

First quarter 2025 data reveals a troubling trend that threatens the entire cable TV ecosystem. With the continued growth of cord-cutting, streaming apps/services, and IPTV these numbers do not surprise us at all.

Fox News Stands Alone in Growth

While most networks struggle, Fox News posted impressive gains during the first three months of 2025.

According to Deadline, the network averaged 3.01 million primetime viewers, representing a 46% jump from the previous year. Their performance in the 25-54 demographic was even stronger, climbing 63% to 380,000 viewers.

Popular shows like “The Five” drew 4.55 million viewers during Q1, while “Jesse Watters Primetime” led the demographic charts.

These numbers helped Fox News achieve what they called their highest-rated quarter in cable news history.

We compared Fox News to CNN and MSNBC on Google Trends and noticed a similar trend of Fox News being searched more compared to the other media outlets.

MSNBC and CNN Face Steep Declines

MSNBC saw significant drops across all metrics. Primetime viewership fell 18% to 1.02 million viewers, while total day numbers dropped 27% to 593,000.

The network’s performance in the key 25-54 demographic was particularly concerning, declining 18% in primetime and 30% during total day programming.

CNN’s situation proved slightly better but still reflected industry-wide problems. The network averaged 558,000 primetime viewers in Q1, down 6% from 2024. Total day viewership decreased 8% to 428,000 viewers.

Both networks did experience brief surges following President Trump’s January 2025 inauguration.

MSNBC reported a 96% increase in weekday primetime viewership compared to post-election periods, while CNN saw a 7% primetime boost in March. However, these temporary gains couldn’t offset the broader yearly declines.

The Broader Cable TV Crisis

These viewership patterns reflect a larger problem facing the cable television industry. For years, live sports and cable news served as the primary reasons consumers maintained expensive cable subscriptions.

Now, with streaming platforms offering more convenient and affordable alternatives, that foundation is crumbling.

Viewers increasingly turn to social media, digital news outlets, streaming services, and live streaming websites for their information and entertainment needs.

The traditional cable bundle, once considered essential is now outdated and overpriced to many households.

And it doesn’t help when cable companies are relying on hidden costs and surcharge fees to deceive customers.

Final Thoughts

The cable news decline represents more than network rivalry—it signals the final chapter of traditional television’s dominance. Even Fox News’s success cannot mask the industry’s fundamental challenges.

As cord-cutting accelerates and viewing habits shift permanently toward digital platforms, cable providers face an uncertain future where their core value propositions no longer resonate with consumers.

For more information on this story, refer to the data and information from Deadline.

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