The Five on FOX News is a cable news ratings juggernaut.
Not only did they just finish first in ratings for the third quarter of 2026, crushing all competition, they did it for the 20th straight quarter.
When the show first aired, people at the network probably thought it would do well, but it’s likely that they had no idea a panel show would grow to such remarkable popularity.
FOX News reports:
‘The Five’ leads cable news for 20th straight quarter as Fox News outdraws CNN and MS NOW combined
Fox News Channel continued to dominate ahead of its 30th anniversary, finishing the third quarter of 2026 ahead of CBS among weekday primetime viewers while crushing all of cable.
Fox News averaged 2.4 million weekday primetime viewers to beat CBS for the quarter while continuing to lead the broadcast network year-to-date among weekday primetime viewers.
When it comes to cable, Fox News averaged 1.3 million total-day viewers to finish as the only network to crack the one-million viewer benchmark. MS NOW finished second with an average audience of 592,000 followed by ESPN, CNN and HGTV.
During primetime, Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers compared to 1.1 million for second-place ESPN. MS NOW settled for 930,000 and CNN managed only 607,000 as Fox News outdrew them combined in both categories.
Along the way, Fox News commanded 56% of the audience in total day and 57% during primetime.
“The Five,” with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.1 million viewers to finish as the No. 1 show on cable news. It was the 20th consecutive quarter that “The Five” has been the highest-rated show in cable news.
The hosts are driving a lot of this success. See some recent clips below:
“The Left has reframed socialism, so it’s no longer an economic program. It’s an IDENTITY.” @greggutfeld says young Americans are being taught to view socialism as a moral stance without understanding its devastating real-world consequences.
Tune in to ‘The Five’ weekdays at 5… pic.twitter.com/HnEjI9Ok8n
— The Five (@TheFive) September 29, 2026
👀 “WHAT IS THE STYLE?” @DanaPerino reacts to New York Magazine putting transgender actor Elliot Page on the cover of its first men’s style issue.
Tune in to ‘The Five’ weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on Fox News. pic.twitter.com/Ui1UBzKKTV
— The Five (@TheFive) September 30, 2026
“You can’t just say everything SUCKS and you’re supposed to be scared.” @JesseBWatters says AOC is testing a presidential message built on “doomerism and class envy” instead of offering an optimistic plan to make Americans’ lives better.
Tune in to ‘The Five’ weekdays at 5 p.m.… pic.twitter.com/DXdirbHpK6
— The Five (@TheFive) September 29, 2026
Congratulations to everyone who works on the show for their continued success.
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