Podcasters and social media personalities are getting deserved praise for their growing influence, but November’s TV ratings are a reminder that Fox News Channel is still the go-to source for political and election news.

According to data from Nielsen Media Research, Fox News has dominated its competition – both cable and network television – with more than 4 million viewers in prime time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET) since the Nov. 5 election. This makes Fox News the most-watched channel, surpassing legacy media channels ABC, CBS and NBC in prime time.

In terms of market share, Fox News captured 73% of the prime-time cable news audience as ratings for CNN and MSNBC plummeted following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.

After the election, CNN’s primetime ratings fell by 39% and MSNBC’s fell by 52%. In raw numbers, CNN reached 453,000 and MSBNC had 644,000 viewers.

November’s ratings mark the 45th consecutive month of Fox News being the No. 1 cable news channel in prime time and total daytime viewership.

The top five shows in November were all on Fox News:

1. “The Five” (4,423,000 total viewers)
2. “Jesse Watters Primetime” (3,945,000)
3. “The Ingraham Angle” (3,316,000)
4. “Gutfeld!” (3,299,000)
5. “Special Report” (3,265,000)

Fox News posted some of its biggest gains in November among the coveted 25-54 demographic, increasing its primetime viewership by 147% year-over-year (compared to 86% overall). It also made gains among independents and Democrats and was the leading cable news channel for Asians and Hispanics.

These post-election gains coincided with Trump’s numerous cabinet appointments and other news. But Fox News also beat the competition on election day itself. The network had nearly 13.6 million viewers across all of its platforms. It was the second consecutive election in which Fox News defeated ABC, CBS, NBC and all cable news networks.

Fox News’ dominance does not affect the podcasters or social media influencers whose content went viral during the 2024 presidential campaign. They will play an increasingly relevant role in politics as audiences consume their news differently in the future.

But it would be a mistake to neglect cable television. Most voters still get their political news from networks like Fox News.

An election survey conducted in November by RMG Research found that 47% of voters use television as their most common way to follow political and election news. Podcasts, on the other hand, only made up 5%.

How do you most often get political and election news?

• 47% TV
• 18% social media
• 17% news websites or apps
• 8% search via Google or other search engines
• 5% podcasts
• 2% radio
• 2% print newspapers or magazines
• 2% None of this

With strong viewership and growth among key audiences, Fox News continues to set the standard. Add to that its dominant digital presence at FoxNews.com and some of the best talent in television, and this media company leaves its competitors far behind.