Fox News Channel blew past the broadcast networks to become the most-watched channel in all of television for coverage of President Trump’s address to the Joint Session of Congress. FNC clocked a hefty 10.8M viewers during the speech, besting usual frontrunner NBC, logging 9.14 million viewers, as well as CBS’s 7.2M, ABC’s 6.1M, and Fox broadcast network’s 3.1M.
FNC clobbered CNN’s 4M and MSNBC’s 2.7M in total viewers; FBN contributed 593K to the overall crowd.
In the news demo, ages 25-54, FNC’s FNC’s 2.8 million viewers ranked No. 1 to NBC’s 3.3M. ABC was next with 2.07M, CBS’s 1.9M, CNN’s 1.5M, Fox broadcast network’s 1.4M, MSNBC’s 670K, and FBN’s 118K.
Across this landscape, Trump’s address clocked a collective 43.4 million viewers. Which means Trump still has got a way to go to match the 52.4M viewers who tuned in to watch President Obama’s first address before the Joint Session of Congress in 2009, or President Clinton’s 66.7 million in his first such address in 1993, back when the TV universe looked different and live-streaming was not such a “thing.”
These so-called addresses before the Joint Session of Congress are, practically speaking, a president’s first State of the Union Address. And, typically, they clock the biggest crowd that president is going to snag during his one or two terms in office.
A notable exception: President George W. Bush’s first such address averaged 40M viewers; it got eclipsed by his 2003 State of the Union Address. More than 62 million viewers tuned in that night to hear Bush justify plans to invade Iraq with the claim Saddam Hussein had sought significant amount of Uranium.
Nielsen will issue final Trump speech stats this afternoon, which will include more viewers who watched via additional cable networks’ coverage.




Well duh. If Donald supporters claim the media is fake news, Fox cannot be defended as anything other than republicans fake news stage.
Can’t wait for the tweet from our Cheeto-in-Chief claiming a “ratings” win. How can this be real life?
Well if I was GOP person that is who I would watch. Birds of a feather
Most Fox News viewers ripped the dial off their ancient sets so the channel can’t be changed.
Fox is a joke. Trump is a criminal and a disaster. This is simply heartbreaking. Are we supposed to be happy that he is spewing the same hateful policies but in a more pleasant tone of voice?
No one I knew wanted to watch. They rather play with their pet or paint their toe nail than watch that clown show
You must be on deserted island.
The stated 48 million is by 11 Network TV viewers. How about those additional uncounted live streaming internet viewers watching PBS News Hour, Vox, Time, White House, FB, and others? For one, I wasn’t a “TV viewer” so my Android stream wouldn’t have counted in the final tally.
Awww, you poor liberals…still upset your precious fake news outlets are tanking? Afraid you will have to think for yourselves, for once in your lives? Embarrassed that everyone else can see you have been duped all this time, while walking around acting superior when in fact its obvious you are inferior? Just let go of your hate and anger. Let go of your bigotry and self loathing. Learn to love yourselves first and then, you may just learn to love one another.
Well said President Donald Trump!
I wish all Trump worshippers and their propaganda news brainwashed know as Fox News would move to Russia where their totalitarian views fit right in