Fox News ratings fell below both CNN and MSNBC for the first time since 2000 in the wake of the attack on the US Capitol

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ffd9e1abde805001980c556-2000/GettyImages-1230281725.jpg" border="0" alt="Donald Trump Fox News" data-mce-source="Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="A close-up of the Fox News Channel website with a picture of President Donald Trump displayed on a smartphone."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>CNN and MSNBC scored both higher ratings than Fox News at the same time for the first time since 2000 as their viewership boomed during last week's storming of the US Capitol.</p><p>Data firm Nielsen said that MSNBC and CNN both beating Fox News in the ratings last week was the first time that had happened since September 24, 2000, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/cnn-and-msnbc-trounce-fox-news-in-friday-ratings-both-in-total-viewers-and-key-demo/ar-BB1cF99k">according to Mediaite</a>.</p><p>The networks saw viewership soar as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, and that gap grew during their coverage of the event in the following days.</p><p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5ff9c7babde805001980c09d-1500/GettyImages-1230476983.jpg" border="0" alt="US capitol" data-mce-source="Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Trump supporters near the US Capitol, on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC."></p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-and-msnbc-both-beat-fox-news-in-total-viewers-for-first-time-since-2000'ref=home'ref=home">According to the Daily Beast</a>, this is what the viewership figures looked like:</p><ul><li>On Wednesday, CNN averaged 5.941 million total viewers, while MSNBC averaged 4.543 million and Fox News averaged 3.464 million.</li><li>On Thursday, CNN averaged 3.854 million total viewers, MSNBC averaged 3.321 million, and Fox averaged 1.935 million.</li><li>On Friday, CNN had 3.121 million total viewers, MSNBC had 2.816 million and Fox News had 1.702 million.</li></ul><p>The three networks were the most-watched in the US for that period.</p><p>CNN and MSNBC also led Fox News in key demographics.</p><p>CNN and MSNBC's success wasn't the result of a collapse in Fox News viewership: All three networks saw an increase in viewership compared to their average day.</p><p>Wednesday, the day of the siege, was <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/cnn-sets-viewership-record-with-country-fixated-on-capitol-mob">also the most-watched day in CNN's history</a> amd MSNBC's highest-rated week ever.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/cnn-sets-viewership-record-with-country-fixated-on-capitol-mob">Bloomberg</a>, Fox said that its coverage on Wednesday afternoon had its highest ratings since the Senate hearings to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in September 2018.<br><br><strong>Read more:</strong><em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/curve-london-fintech-raises-new-round-despite-filing-concerns-2021-1" data-analytics-position="35" data-analytics-module="">Payment startup Curve has raised a fresh $95 million but faces questions over its late financial filings</a></em></p><p>Fox News has long dominated cable news ratings, and it 2020 it <a href="http://press.foxnews.com/2020/12/fox-news-channel-smashes-records-with-highest-rated-year-in-cable-news-history-across-total-day-and-primetime-viewership/">set</a> an all-time record for viewership in a year. But its ratings have <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/newsmax-may-not-destroy-fox-news-but-will-annoy-the-shit-out-of-it">declined</a> since the November presidential election.</p><p>Trump has also picked battled with the network that was once one of his closet allies, urging his followers to turn to alternatives like One America News and Newsmax.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-siege-cnn-msnbc-higher-ratings-fox-1st-time-2000-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-symphony-seas-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-deals-with-waste-2020-3">How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship</a></p>
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