Can Fox News bounce back from Carlson’s ratings drop?

Fox News Ratings Plummet After Tucker Carlson’s Departure

Can Fox News Recover?

Since Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News on April 24, the network’s prime-time ratings have taken a nosedive. The 8 p.m. ET hour, which Carlson anchored as the most-watched show in cable news, has seen an average of only 1.45 million total viewers, with 156,625 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic tuning in between April 24 and May 4. In comparison, Carlson averaged 3.42 million viewers in his final week on air and 3.3 million viewers per episode in 2022.

But it’s not just the 8 p.m. slot that’s suffering. All of Fox News’ one-hour prime-time slots have seen a decline in ratings since Carlson’s departure. The 6 p.m. hour experienced a 42 percent drop, while the 7 p.m. slot went down 62 percent. The 8 p.m. slot saw a 75 percent decrease, and the 9 p.m. hour experienced a 70 percent dip among the 25-54 demographic. The 10 p.m. slot saw a 66 percent drop, and the 11 p.m. hour saw a 49 percent decline.

The question on everyone’s mind is whether Fox News can recover from this major blow to its ratings. Media analyst Jon Nicosia doesn’t think so. He believes that Tucker Carlson is his own brand, and Fox News won’t be able to replicate his energy, legacy, and passion. Nicosia also thinks that every other network will see the same type of decline.

While Fox News declined to comment on whether it expects to rebound in the 8 p.m. hour, it did cite last week’s Nielsen ratings and the fact that advertisers have come back to that slot. However, former Fox News stars like Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly have decried Carlson’s ouster, with Kelly calling it a “terrible move” and O’Reilly saying that it’s about more than just the network.

Fill-In Anchors and Rival Networks

So far, the fill-in anchors for Carlson have been Brian Kilmeade, Lawrence Jones, and this week, Kayleigh McEnany. But none of them have been able to deliver the same numbers as Carlson.

While Fox News’ ratings have plummeted, its rivals CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax, and NewsNation have mostly trailed behind, even with Carlson no longer on air. The only exception was on April 26 when MSNBC’s “All in with Chris Hayes” led the 8 p.m. slot with 1.38 million viewers, or 500,000 more than “Fox News Tonight.”

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether Fox News can recover from the loss of Tucker Carlson and his massive audience. But one thing is clear: Carlson’s departure has had a devastating impact on the network’s ratings, and it may be the beginning of a decline for Fox News as its audience fragments more.