Network Scores Highest Rated Year Ever in Total Day, Business Day and Prime; Every Program Sees Year to Year Growth
FOX Business Network (FBN) is closing out 2015 as the fastest growing television network in all of cable, according to Nielsen Media Research. Scoring its highest rated year ever, FBN achieved record ratings across all key day parts; Business Day, Prime and Total Day, for both total viewers and in the coveted advertiser demo of persons aged 25-54. In addition, every single program experienced substantial gains for the year.
The network’s strong performance was led by FBN’s first ever presidential debate, which took place on November 10th and scored a record breaking 13.5 million total viewers and 3.7 million in the demo. The debate helped FBN finish as the number four rated network in all of cable primetime for the week, a first top five ranking for the channel. Additionally, FBN’s debate helped bolster the network’s Business Day ratings by 27 percent in total viewers and 33 percent in the demo in the following weeks. The debate, along with FBN’s original primetime series Strange Inheritance, helped the network see a 125 percent increase in total viewers and 178 percent increase in the demo. The triple digit growth in primetime was the largest increase in all of cable for the year. Hosted by Jamie Colby, the second season of Strange Inheritance (9PM/ET) is up 30 percent across the board and averaging 147,000 total viewers and 28,000 in the demo.
FOX News and FOX Business Network Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes commented on the year-end ratings, stating, “Once we hit the 80 million distribution mark this year, I knew viewers would begin to see what I’ve known all along — we have the best anchors, hosts and reporters in financial news who out-perform CNBC every day and deliver the most compelling business programming on television.”
Business Day was another area of growth for the network. Following the June 1st lineup change that moved FBN’s global markets editor Maria Bartiromo to the highly influential pre-market timeslot, the network saw its Business Day ratings increase 56 percent in total viewers, with 95,000 for the second half of the year. The demo also saw an increase of 60 percent, averaging 16,000 viewers for the last two quarters. Additionally, Mornings with Maria (6-9AM/ET) saw a 29 percent improvement in the demo this year compared to Imus in the Morning, which previously held the timeslot.
During market hours, Stuart Varney’s Varney & Co (9AM-12PM/ET) and Neil Cavuto’s CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (12-2PM/ET) both saw double digit increases across the board. New addition to FBN, Trish Regan posted an impressive 111 percent gain in total viewers with her show The Intelligence Report (2PM/ET). Combined, the anchors helped FBN see its best performing 9AM-3PM timeslot in network history, averaging 101,000 total viewers and 16,000 in the demo. Closing out the trading day, Liz Claman’s Countdown to the Closing Bell (3PM/ET) was another top performer, pulling in 50 percent more viewers than 2014.
All of FBN’s post-market programs also recorded double digit growth across the board. After the Bell (4PM/ET) with David Asman and Melissa Francis, Risk & Reward with Deirdre Bolton (5PM/ET) and Making Money with Charles Payne (6PM/ET) all had their highest rated year ever in both total viewers and the demo. Additionally, ratings stalwart Lou Dobbs and his eponymous Lou Dobbs Tonight (7PM/ET) program ends 2015 up 47 percent in total viewers and 38 percent in the demo.
Altogether, FBN’s Total Day performance was 49 percent higher in total viewers and 75 percent higher in the demo compared to 2014. In addition, the network is on track to close out 2015 as the highest rated year ever in total day with both total viewers and the demo.
FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street. Headquartered in New York—the business capital of the world—FBN launched in October 2007 and is available in more than 80 million homes in major markets across the United States. Owned by 21st Century Fox, the network has bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and London. On the web at www.foxbusiness.com.
