Why Is Fox News the Most Watched Cable Network?
Fox News recently won the most watched cable network for the seventeenth year in a row. But why has the television news network continued to stay so popular, despite a lot of recent outrage at their so-called “biased” way of telling the news?
Fox News is the only conservative choice
The biggest reason behind the success of Fox News network is that it is the only true news choice for conservative viewers. While they do have a few liberal television shows and hosts, the network is generally much more conservative than their competitors.
This doesn’t mean there are more conservative viewers, however. Instead, it is a matter of liberal viewers having a lot more choices in which news networks or television shows they watch since most networks have a slant towards being liberal.
Their semi-controversial hosts are wildly popular
It is no big secret that Fox News hosts have come under fire time and again for their ultra-conservative (and sometimes racy) comments. Yet this is one of the many reasons people tune in to watch them. On the one hand, you have conservative viewers tuning in to hear the news told from their own point of view. On the other hand, you have liberal viewers tuning in to see what “crazy thing” the hosts are going to say next.
‘Shepard Smith Reporting’
One of the most popular shows on the Fox News network is Shepard Smith Reporting. This is surprising since many other individuals from Fox have reportedly spoken out against the show, considering it isn’t in line with typical conservative beliefs.
The host, Shepard Smith, has openly given support to same-sex marriage and stated that he believes in climate change. Yet, despite the internal controversy the show causes for the network, it racks in an average of 1.43 million viewers.
‘Outnumbered’
With 1.6 million average viewers during the first quarter of 2018, Outnumbered is another one of the television shows contributing to the success of Fox News. The show features four female panelists and one man, who debate the day’s leading headlines from all angles and perspectives. The ratings have risen since the hosts were altered to include Andrea Tantaros, Harris Faulkner, and Sandra Smith.
‘The Five’
The 2.15 million average viewers watching each new episode of The Five has rocketed it to the fifth most watched news show on television. Much of this success is thanks to the high approval ratings of all five hosts – Jesse Watters, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Juan Williams.
‘Hannity’
Hosted by Sean Hannity, this show pulls in an incredible 3.5 million average viewers per episode. It is among the – if not THE – most watched show on Fox News network.
In addition to being widely popular on its own, the show also hosts a segment called Ainsley Across America. It is hosted by Ainsley Earhardt, who has an incredible 60% approval rating and is the “go-to for interviews with the President and his family.”
‘Fox and Friends’
The final show that helps Fox News network lay claim to most popular is Fox and Friends – but it’s certainly not the least. The show discusses a wide variety of trending topics, from politics to celebrity gossip. It is hosted by Ainsley Earhardt, Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade.
Fox is familiar
On a final note, the familiarity of Fox news is one of the reasons people still watch. As it aired in 1996, many of those people watching today probably grew up watching it with their parents as children. Although CNN (started 1980) and NBC (started 1939) they take a much more liberal stance than Fox.
