Some numbers below per our sources familiar with the matter. Good for FBN and not so good for CNBC
FBN Delivered Six of the Top 10 Business Programs
Lou Dobbs Tonight Continues As Number One in both Total Viewers and 25-54 Demo
CNBC Scores Lowest Rated Business Day in 22 Years in Viewers and Key Demo
FOX Business Network (FBN) marked its ninth month as the leader in business news, according to Nielsen Media Research. With the markets hitting new record highs and the Federal Reserve announcing its second interest rate hike of 2017, FBN’s coverage of the exceptionally business-dominated news month saw a 20 percent advantage over rival CNBC, averaging 174,000 Business Day viewers compared to 145,000 viewers. Additionally, all of FBN’s core Business Day programs saw year over year growth, while CNBC delivered its lowest rated month ever in the 25-54 demo, and its lowest rated month since 1995 in Business Day viewers.
July marked Lou Dobbs’ 19th consecutive month as the leader in business news as his eponymous program Lou Dobbs Tonight (7PM/ET) outpaced all other business programs in both total viewers with 310,000 and the 25-54 demo with 39,000. FBN’s market-open program Varney & Co (9A-12PM/ET) was the second highest rated news program on business television, averaging 219,000 total viewers, up 13 percent from July 2016. Varney also topped CNBC’s Squawk on the Street/Squawk Alley competition for the 12th consecutive month in total viewers.
While CNBC delivered its lowest rated monthly Business Day in 22 years, all of FBN’s programs saw double digit gains over last July, with CAVUTO Coast to Coast (12-2PM/ET), Intelligence Report with Trish Regan (2PM/ET), Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman (3PM/ET) and After the Bell (4PM/ET) also besting their CNBC competition in total viewers for the second consecutive month. Additionally, FBN’s pre-market programs FBN AM (5AM/ET) and Mornings with Maria (6-9AM/ET) anchored by Maria Bartiromo, also saw gains in total viewers compared to last year.
***Below are the Nielsen Media Research numbers for July 2017:
Business Day:
FBN: 174,000 P2+ (up 17 percent), 21,000 A25-54 (up 11 percent)
CNBC: 145,000 P2+ (down 28 percent), 25,000 A25-54 (down 39 percent)
Ratings for the top five business programs
Total Viewers: Lou Dobbs Tonight (310,000), Varney & Co (219,000), Countdown to the Closing Bell (168,000), CAVUTO Coast to Coast (164,000) and Squawk on the Street (157,000)
