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The network averaged 1.9 million viewers per
day and 3.6 million in primetime - record levels for cable news
channels - during a news-heavy year marked by the coronavirus
pandemic, protests for racial justice and a contentious U.S.
presidential election.
While Fox was ahead in key metrics when looking at the year as a
whole, AT&T Inc's CNN beat Fox in total day ratings for 41
straight days after the Nov. 3 presidential contest, CNN said on
Dec. 16. The channel also recorded its most-watched year in its
40-year history, with an average of 1.1 million viewers per day
and 1.8 million in primetime.
Fox angered President Donald Trump on election night by
projecting that Democrat Joe Biden would win Arizona before
other major news outlets called the state. Trump urged his
supporters to check out smaller news channels including Newsmax
and One America News Network (OAN).
Newsmax's audience jumped after the election, though its overall
audience remained much smaller than Fox's reach. In November,
Newsmax primetime ratings peaked at 495,000 on average, slipping
to 391,000 in early December.
OAN pulled in its highest ratings ever in 2020, its president,
Charles Herring, said via email, and viewership surged by more
than 40% in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter.
Herring said the data was based on viewing on set-top boxes of a
major pay TV provider in 70 markets, which showed OAN ranked as
the No. 4 national news network with those viewers. OAN does not
subscribe to Nielsen ratings and did not release precise
viewership totals.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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