Note, it's not listed in the table below, but Fox News ran a 7 minute special report on Bin Laden's death from 8:00-8:07p ET. It averaged 4.56 million total viewers and 1.34 million adults 25-54. The numbers for The O'Reilly Factor below are only for the 53 minutes from 8:07-9p.
FNC had its highest rated Total Day with both P2+ and A25-54 since the mid-term election on 11/2/10 and Fox & Friends delivered its highest-rated P2+ and A25-54 since 9/2/05 (Hurricane Katrina).
Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for May 2, 2011
| P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) | ||
| Total Day | ||||
| FNC | 2,088 | 705 | 1,109 | |
| CNN | 1,858 | 776 | 958 | |
| MSNBC | 946 | 361 | 536 | |
| CNBC | 169 | 48 | 91 | |
| FBN | 83 | 18 | 40 | |
| HLN | 291 | 126 | 166 | |
| Primetime | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) | |
| FNC | 3,397 | 1,031 | 1,759 | |
| CNN | 2,155 | 909 | 1,164 | |
| MSNBC | 1,555 | 549 | 874 | |
| CNBC | 169 | 69 | 83 | |
| FBN | 62 | 19 | 37 | |
| HLN | 404 | 171 | 227 | |
| Net | Morning programs (6-9 AM) | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | FOX & Friends | 2,129 | 907 | 1,371 |
| CNN | American Morning | 1,373 | 661 | 749 |
| MSNBC | Morning Joe | 1,000 | 431 | 572 |
| CNBC | Squawk Box | 137 | 51 | 89 |
| HLN | Morning Express w/ Meade | 367 | 190 | 246 |
| Net | 5PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | GLENN BECK | 2,706 | 816 | 1,293 |
| CNN | Situation Room | 2,448 | 897 | 1,212 |
| MSNBC | HARDBALL WITH C. MATTHEWS | 1,248 | 319 | 597 |
| CNBC | FAST MONEY | 189 | 31 | 110 |
| HLN | HLN SPECIAL REPORT | 231 | 99 | 139 |
| Net | 6PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER | 2,871 | 791 | 1,418 |
| CNN | Situation Room | 2,481 | 921 | 1,253 |
| MSNBC | MSNBC LIVE | 1,057 | 261 | 576 |
| CNBC | Mad Money | 190 | 71 | 134 |
| HLN | Prime News | 262 | 80 | 154 |
| Net | 7PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | The Fox Report W/S.SMITH | 3,131 | 1,021 | 1,672 |
| CNN | John King USA | 2,191 | 877 | 1,138 |
| MSNBC | HARDBALL WITH C. MATTHEWS | 1,174 | 372 | 653 |
| CNBC | Kudlow Report | 166 | 42 | 70 |
| HLN | ISSUES | 440 | 134 | 238 |
| Net | 8PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | THE OREILLY FACTOR | 4,465 | 1,314 | 2,240 |
| CNN | In The Arena | 1,553 | 638 | 789 |
| MSNBC | Last Word W/ L. ODONNELL | 1,592 | 493 | 854 |
| CNBC | AMER COLLEGE DEBT CRISIS | 167 | 86 | 95 |
| HLN | Nancy Grace | 614 | 244 | 351 |
| Net | 9PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | Hannity | 3,001 | 946 | 1,584 |
| CNN | Piers Morgan Tonight | 2,009 | 816 | 1,043 |
| MSNBC | Rachel Maddow Show | 1,665 | 643 | 967 |
| CNBC | BIO: CONRAD HILTON | 185 | 68 | 85 |
| HLN | Dr. Drew | 274 | 131 | 155 |
| Net | 10PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | ON THE RECORD W/GRETA | 2,707 | 830 | 1,438 |
| CNN | Anderson Cooper 360 | 2,921 | 1,282 | 1,670 |
| MSNBC | Ed Show | 1,410 | 513 | 805 |
| CNBC | BIO: HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS | 157 | 54 | 69 |
| HLN | Joy Behar | 344 | 145 | 183 |
| Net | 11PM | P2+ (000s) | 25-54 (000s) | 35-64 (000s) |
| FNC | THE OREILLY FACTOR | 2,166 | 683 | 1,153 |
| CNN | Anderson Cooper 360 | 1,971 | 857 | 1,165 |
| MSNBC | Last Word W/ L. ODONNELL | 831 | 326 | 500 |
| CNBC | Mad Money | 72 | 37 | 56 |
| HLN | SHOWBIZ TONIGHT | 204 | 70 | 109 |
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For other days cable news ratings click here.
P2+ = viewers over the age of 2
(25-54) = Adults 25-54 viewing
(35-64) = Adults 35-64 viewing
Prime Time = 8-11pm
LIVE+SD: The number that watched a program either while it was broadcast OR watched via DVR on the same day [through 3AM the next day] the program was broadcast. For more information see Numbers 101.
Scratch = when a show's audience fails to meet minimum Nielsen reporting levels. For more information go here.
Nielsen Cable Network Coverage Estimates (as of October, 2010)
CNN/HLN: 100.88 million HHs
CNBC: 98.38 million HHs
FNC: 99.06 million HHs
MSNBC: 95.41 million HHs
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2011 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
