Fox News experienced a sharp decline in viewership during its coverage of the November 3 midterm elections, drawing approximately 4.3 million prime-time viewers, down 42% from the 2022 midterms. The drop came as overall television viewership for election coverage increased 23%, reaching approximately 31.2 million viewers across 13 networks, according to Nielsen.

Despite the decline, Fox remained the most-watched cable news network on election night. CNN attracted approximately 4.1 million viewers, while MS NOW averaged 3.7 million. NBC led all networks with approximately 6.7 million viewers, followed by ABC with 5.2 million. Fox's audience was also supplemented by a simulcast on Fox Business Network, which drew an additional 346,000 viewers.

The election-night decline followed a difficult October for the conservative network. Nielsen figures showed Fox averaging approximately 1.1 million total-day viewers, down 27% from October 2025. Its prime-time audience declined 28% year over year, while viewership among adults ages 25 to 54 fell 32% during total-day programming and 36% in prime time. The network's 98,000 total-day viewers in the key advertising demographic marked its lowest monthly average in approximately 25 years.

Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch addressed the ratings declines during an earnings call November 2, attributing the losses partly to what he described as "viewer fatigue." He argued that audiences were watching less television overall rather than abandoning Fox for competing news outlets.

"Those viewers are not going to any other news channel. They're not switching to MS NOW or to CNN," Murdoch told investors. However, October ratings showed both CNN and MS NOW gaining viewers compared with the previous year, while Fox recorded declines in both total-day and prime-time audiences. Fox nevertheless maintained a substantial lead over its cable news competitors in overall viewership.

The ratings challenges have unfolded alongside an increasingly public dispute between Fox News and President Donald Trump. The president has repeatedly criticized the network's coverage of Republican candidates and his administration, accusing it of giving too much attention to Democrats and political opponents.

"Fox News is spending far too much time putting on the OPPONENTS of Republican Party Candidates," Trump wrote on Truth Social. In another post, he declared, "Fox is promoting the Dumocrats, not the Republicans and MAGA. They have totally lost their way!" Trump also blamed the network's coverage for contributing to Republican losses in the midterms and encouraged conservative viewers to consider alternatives.

The tensions have added to scrutiny of Fox's programming decisions and leadership under Lachlan Murdoch. However, the October figures also show that Fox remained the leading cable news network in total viewers, meaning its declining ratings have not yet translated into a loss of its overall position among cable competitors.