Fox News Ratings Balloon After FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago

Monday August 8 was an unprecedented date in US history – with a search warrant, the FBI entered the premises of a former US president, as part of an investigation. The place: Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

No media had covered the search live, as it occurred at its exact time; it was Trump himself who first mentioned it publicly. As that day went by, minimal details had yet been leaked.

The FBI search gave all wired media a boost, despite the varying angles of the event. Fox News Channel’s three prime-time programs — Tucker Carlson tonight, Hannityand Ingraham’s Angle – beginning August 8, each drew ratings well above their regularly strong levels and ranked in the top six most-watched cable news shows for the week ending August 14 (as listed in the ranking at the bottom of this article). Additionally, the aforementioned FNC trio was the top 3 in all cable news among the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The August 8 edition of MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show, which also landed in the top 10 cable news telecasts by total viewers and adults 25-54, also devoted its entire hour to FBI research. With 3.52 million total viewers, Maddow published its most-watched edition since February 12, 2021, during the week of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial; With 496,000 adults ages 25-54, it was “Maddow’s” best demo delivery since March 4, 2021.

Newsmax also reached above-average audiences on August 8. Rob Schmitt Tonight (308,000 viewers in total) at 7 p.m. and Eric Bolling Balance (379,000 viewers in total) at 8 p.m.; and, at 9 p.m., NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live (102,000), nearly doubling its overnight averages over the past few weeks.

Later that week, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department had filed a motion to unseal the warrant. The result of this unsealing was to let the public know that several classified documents had been seized from the Mar-a-Lago residence, including some related to nuclear weapons.

Garland’s press conference also sent the ratings for each of the cable news outlets skyrocketing. From 3-4 p.m. EST on Thursday, August 11, FNC led coverage with 2.75 million total viewers and 363,000 adults 25-54 — the network’s top brand of the week. for a TV show before 5 p.m. MSNBC was second that hour in total viewers (1.57 million); meanwhile, CNN was trailing with 1.37 million viewers, but it was the network’s second most-watched hour of the week. Regarding adults aged 25 to 54, CNN attracted 252,000; MSNBC 196,000.

Cable News Averages for August 8-14, 2022:

Total day (August 8-14 @ 6am-5:59am)

• Fox News Channel: 1.668 million viewers; 242,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• MSNBC: 0.934 million viewers; 107,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• CNN: 0.662 million viewers; 134,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• HLN: 0.180 million viewers; 50,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• newsmax: 0.138 million viewers; 17,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• CNBC: 0.131 million viewers; 33,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• Fox Business Network: 0.112 million viewers; 11,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• The weather channel: 0.097 million viewers; 21,000 adults aged 25 to 54

Prime time (August 8-13 @ 8-11pm; August 14 @ 7-11pm)

• Fox News Channel: 2.703 million viewers; 377,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• MSNBC: 1.546 million viewers; 176,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• CNN: 0.893 million viewers; 196,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• HLN: 0.210 million viewers; 52,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• CNBC: 0.203 million viewers; 61,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• newsmax: 0.203 million viewers; 22,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• The weather channel: 0.135 million viewers; 24,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• NewsNation: 0.063 million viewers; 9,000 adults aged 25 to 54
• Fox Business Network: 0.049 million viewers; 5,000 adults aged 25 to 54

Top 10 most watched TV news (and top programs from other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in the total number of viewers:

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 4.264 million viewers

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.244 million viewers

3. The Five (FOXNC, Tue 8/9/2022 5:00 PM, 60 mins.) 4.054 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu 8/11/2022 5:00 PM, 60 mins.) 3.789 million viewers

5. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/10/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.742 million viewers

6. The Ingraham Angle (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.696 million viewers

7. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/12/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.644 million viewers

8. Rachel Maddow Show “FBI Raids Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home” (MSNBC, Mon, 8/8/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.523 million viewers

9. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 08/09/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.518 million viewers

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 7:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.428 million viewers

123. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 1.458 million viewers

255. Live with Bill Maher “Episode 608” (HBO, Fri 8/12/2022 10:01 p.m., 57 min.) 0.786 million viewers

357. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/14/2022 11:00 p.m., 35 min.) 0.554 million viewers

388. Forensic Files II “In Deep” (HLN, Sun. 8/14/2022 10:30 p.m., 30 mins.) 0.461 million viewers

400. The Daily Show (CMDY, Thu 11/8/2022 11:00 PM, 30 mins) 0.425 million viewers

432. Varney & Company (FBN, Wed 8/10/2022 10:00, 60 mins.) 0.373 million viewers

439. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7207” (TBS, Thu 8/11/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.350 million viewers

462. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 721” (CNBC, Wed, 10/8/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.321 million viewers

675. Deep Water Rescue “(102) Emergency!” (TWC, Sun 8/14/2022 9:00 PM, 60 mins) 0.187 million viewers

753. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Mon 8/8/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 mins.) 0.154 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and top programs from other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in adults aged 25 to 54

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/8/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.698 million adults 25-54

2. Hannity (FOXNC, Mon 8/8/2022 9:00 PM, 60 mins.) 0.676 million adults 25-54

3. Ingraham’s Angle (FOXNC, Mon 8/8/2022 10:00 PM, 60 mins) 0.587 million adults 25-54

4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.560 million adults 25-54

5. The Five (FOXNC, Wed, 10/8/2022 5:00 PM, 60 Min.) 0.547 million adults 25-54

6. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.528 million adults 25-54

7. Rachel Maddow Show “FBI Raids Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home” (MSNBC, Mon, 8/8/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.496 million adults 25-54

8. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 8/9/2022 9:00 PM, 60 Min.) 0.492 million adults 25-54

9. The Five (FOXNC, Thu 11/8/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.489 million adults 25-54

10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Mon 8/8/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.487 million adults 25-54

36. CNN Tonight (CNN, Mon. 8/8/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.320 million adults 25-54

133. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun 8/14/2022 11:00 PM, 35 mins) 0.202 million adults 25-54

145. The Daily Show (CMDY, Thu 11/8/2022 11:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.192 million adults 25-54

166. Forensic Files II “In Deep” (HLN, Sun, 8/14/2022 10:30 p.m., 30 min.) 0.177 million adults 25-54

202. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 721” (CNBC, Wed, 10/8/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.155 million adults 25-54

230. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 7207” (TBS, Thu 8/11/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.144M Adults 25-54

275. Live with Bill Maher “Episode 608” (HBO, Fri 8/12/2022 10:01 PM, 57 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54

643. The Earth Unlocked “(107) Lakes” (TWC, Sat 8/13/2022 4:00 PM, 60 mins.) 0.047M Adults 25-54

689. Mornings with Maria Bartiromo (FBN, Fri 08/12/2022 08:00, 60 min.) 0.040 million adults 25-54

799. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun 8/14/2022 7:00 PM, 60 mins) 0.027 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research