This comparison of in-home network and local television, cable and internet news consumption offers a unique look at how people get news across different platforms in a rapidly changing media environment. See Methodology. The numbers in this report dovetail with other data about television news viewership.
A Pew Research Center survey of news consumption habits shows that local television remains the most popular way of accessing news. But the deeper level of viewer engagement with cable news may help to explain why cable television—despite a more limited audience—seems to have an outsized ability to influence the national debate and news agenda. In one finding that may seem counterintuitive in an era of profound political polarization, significant portions of the Fox News and MSNBC audiences spend time watching both channels.
Emerging digital technology has changed news consumption choices and habits, and in a report released last fall , Pew Research Center found that local television has experienced viewership declines in the last several years, most acutely among young people. At the same time, the Nielsen data provide a reminder of the central role television still plays in news consumption in the comfort of home.
Although broadcast television may have a wider reach, cable news handily wins the competition for the time and attention of news consumers at home. People who watch cable news do so for an average of about 25 minutes a day, compared with the slightly more than 12 minutes a day local television and network news viewers spend on those platforms. On every television platform, viewership is largest in the evening and nighttime hours.
The number of viewers watching cable news is quite stable between 8 a. The local news audience is highest during the late 11 p. The early morning newscasts, from 6 a. A deeper analysis of television news watchers reveals major differences in the amount of time they spend on that activity. To illustrate this, the audience data were sliced into thirds based on the time spent watching each platform, and Nielsen averaged the viewing time for each of the three groups of viewers.
Overall, people in the top category for each platform—the heaviest users in terms of time spent—are far more engaged than those in tiers two and three. That is particularly true for cable. The heaviest users of cable news devote, on average, one hour and 12 minutes 72 minutes a day to that platform.
Viewing time drops off dramatically for the bottom two-thirds of cable news viewers. Those in the middle tier average slightly more than three minutes of viewing time and those at the bottom catch a glimpse for less than a minute. Similarly, for local TV news, the top tier of viewers averages almost 22 minutes a day, compared with six and a half minutes a day for those in the middle tier and one minute for those on the bottom rung.
At the network news level, the most engaged viewers watch for almost 32 minutes day. But that drops off to slightly more than five minutes for the next tier and less than one minute for the lightest viewers. According to the numbers, people who are heavy users of any type of television news tend to be heavy viewers of other platforms. But the heaviest viewers of cable news far outpace heavy viewers of local and network news, racking up almost 50 more minutes a day, on average, than the most dedicated local news viewers and approximately 40 more minutes than the top tier of network news viewers.
Even the heavy viewers of local and network news spend more time watching cable news than they do watching network and local news.
The most devoted local news viewers spend an average of about 22 minutes a day on local news compared with about 32 on cable. They also spend almost 24 minutes a day watching network news. The heaviest network news users spend about a half minute more 32 minutes watching cable than network.
The heaviest cable news users also spend more time watching local news almost 14 minutes and network news almost 17 minutes than the average viewer does around 12 minutes. But that time is low compared with the 72 minutes they spend watching cable news in the home. The Nielsen data clearly indicate that those who watch television news on one platform are likely to watch it on another—particularly when it comes to broadcast news.
The greatest overlap occurs between local and network newscasts, which often are on the same channel. The crossover is not as great from broadcast news network and local to cable.
Similarly, cable news viewers, while a smaller group overall, are heavy consumers of local and network news. Indeed, cable viewers exhibit the heaviest news consumption habits of any group measured here. Overall, more than half of adult Americans watch more than one form of television news. That helps explain why CNN consistently trails Fox News Channel in the rating wars since Fox News has a clear lead over competitors in its prime-time programming. One of the most striking findings in this analysis is the degree to which viewers of one of the three cable news channels also view the competition.
While the formats of the three major cable news channels are quite similar, there are significant ideological differences, most pronounced in prime time. CNN, the original cable news outlet, has built its brand around national and global reporting of breaking news events. It also airs opinion in prime time, but includes commentators from both the right and the left. The perception is that because of their distinct identities—and particularly because of the divergent ideological leanings of Fox News and MSNBC—the cable news channels appeal to different, politically segmented audiences.
However the data show something different. This data also reflect the fact that those getting online news at home generally spend very small amounts of time on that task. On average, that amounts to 90 seconds per day getting news online. Looking at the data by intensity of use, the heaviest online news users spent only about four minutes a day on that activity. Skip to main content Try our corporate solution for free! Single Accounts Corporate Solutions Universities. Premium statistics. Read more.
What are the most-watched news networks? In September , Fox News was the most watched cable news network in the United States and continues to do well in terms of its primetime audience, with 2.
When looking at Fox News viewers compared to CNN, the overall average number of primetime viewers was notably different. CNN has been losing viewers in recent years, although since the coronavirus outbreak has been pulling in a larger audience than usual.
Which cable news channel has the most viewers in prime time? Performing well during the mid-evening prime time slot on cable television is the goal of any network that takes its ratings seriously. Cable news networks like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC are engaged in a monthly battle to hit the top spot during primetime and grab the highest cable news ratings during those precious evening hours. Fox News ratings during primetime are generally higher than its two direct competitors, and was the top channel for watching the State of the Union Address in What is prime time TV?
Primetime television is the time at which the audience peaks, and in the United States usually takes place between 8pm and 11pm. TV networks show their most sought after or successful programs during this time, and this slot is where advertisers like to spend their money in order to maximize the number of viewers who will see their products.
In fact, many of the most-watched news shows like Hannity or The Rachel Maddow Show which debate news coverage from a particular point of view, draw in massive audiences each month, ultimately contributing to the overall ratings of the network they belong to. You need a Single Account for unlimited access. Full access to 1m statistics Incl.
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