MS NOW Surpasses Fox News' Hannity in Ratings

Rachel Maddow's show tops 9 p.m. hour, as MS NOW and CNN see viewership gains

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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In the final week of January, MS NOW's Rachel Maddow Show surpassed Fox News' Hannity in total viewers, becoming the top-rated program in the 9 p.m. ET hour. While Fox News remained the overall ratings leader in primetime, both MS NOW and CNN saw significant increases in viewership compared to the previous week and the same period last year.

Why it matters

The ratings swing highlights the shifting dynamics in the cable news landscape, with MS NOW and CNN gaining ground on the long-dominant Fox News. This could signal changing viewer preferences and the impact of major news events, such as the fatal shooting of a nurse by ICE agents and the Minneapolis protests, on cable news viewership.

The details

According to data from Nielsen, the Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW drew 2.668 million total viewers and 345,000 viewers in the key Adults 25-54 demographic, just ahead of Hannity's 2.654 million total viewers and 244,000 demo viewers. However, Fox News remained the top-rated network in primetime, averaging 2.565 million total viewers and 245,000 demo viewers. MS NOW averaged 1.241 million total viewers and 151,000 demo viewers for the week, up 17% and 62% respectively compared to the prior week. CNN also saw significant increases, with 832,000 total primetime viewers (up 22%) and 169,000 demo viewers (up 37%).

  • The ratings data is for the week of January 26, 2026.
  • The Rachel Maddow Show topped Hannity on Monday, January 26, 2026.

The players

Rachel Maddow

Host of the Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW.

Sean Hannity

Host of the Hannity show on Fox News.

MS NOW

A cable news network that recently rebranded from its previous name.

Fox News

The top-rated cable news network, which remained the leader in primetime ratings during the week of January 26, 2026.

CNN

A cable news network that saw significant increases in viewership during the week of January 26, 2026.

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The takeaway

The ratings swing between MS NOW and Fox News highlights the changing dynamics in the cable news landscape, with viewers increasingly turning to alternative sources beyond the long-dominant Fox News. This could signal a shift in viewer preferences and the growing influence of major news events on cable news viewership.