Fox News Channel is celebrating a resounding victory in the ratings war following its stellar coverage of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conservative network’s broadcast during the final night of the convention, where Donald Trump officially accepted his nomination as the GOP presidential candidate, garnered exceptional viewership, further solidifying Fox News’ dominance over its struggling cable competitors, CNN and MSNBC.
On the convention’s concluding evening, Fox News attracted over 9.8 million viewers, with 1.9 million falling in the key 25-54 age demographic, according to Nielsen data. This viewership surge marked the highest-rated convention coverage since 1992. When Trump took the stage at 10:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night, the ratings soared even higher, with Fox News pulling in a staggering 10.4 million viewers, including roughly 2 million in the key demographic. This achievement represents a 32-year high in convention ratings.
Throughout the week of the convention, Fox News commanded an impressive 75 percent of the cable news primetime audience. At the end of the RNC, Fox News maintained an average of 6.6 million viewers, with 1.1 million in the crucial 25-54 age range. The network’s total day average was 3 million viewers, with 446,000 in the key demographic.
In stark contrast, CNN and MSNBC’s numbers paled. CNN garnered only 1.1 million total viewers, with 304,000 in the key demographic, while MSNBC also attracted 1.1 million overall viewers but only managed to capture 140,000 in the key age range. These figures highlight a significant viewer preference for Fox News during critical political events.
The American Tribune reported extensively on Trump’s electrifying and highly anticipated speech at the convention. Speaking for over an hour and a half, Trump set a new record for the longest speech in convention history, surpassing his own previous record of 74 minutes from 2016. The energy at the convention was palpable, especially in light of the recent assassination attempt against Trump.
Trump began his speech with a message of confidence, strength, and hope: “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope. Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country. Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity, and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. The discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.”
He also addressed the attempt on his life, describing the harrowing incident in vivid detail: “It was a warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler Township in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Music was loudly playing, and the campaign was doing well. I went to the stage, and the crowd was cheering wildly. I began speaking very happily because I was discussing the great job my administration did on immigration at the southern border. Behind me and to the right was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership. The numbers were amazing. In order to see the chart, I started to turn to my right, and was ready to begin a further turn, which I’m lucky I didn’t, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me, really hard, on my right ear.”
Fox News’ remarkable ratings success during the RNC highlights its strong connection with viewers seeking comprehensive and engaging coverage of significant political events. As CNN and MSNBC continue to lag, Fox News remains the go-to source for millions of Americans eager for insightful and impactful news reporting.
