Fox News had the highest ratings for prime-time hours in all of television during June and July.
The news network outranked every show on television between the hours of 8 to 11 p.m., including competitors like MSNBC and CNN, The New York Times reported. The ratings are according to Neilson, a global marketing research firm.
Fox News beat out the Big Three broadcasters – ABC, NBC and CBS – an extremely rare feat, given that the Big Three are available in more homes and offer more programming options, according to the New York Times.
The coronavirus pandemic, ongoing unrest following the death of George Floyd, and the upcoming presidential election fueled a general increased interest in the news, according to the report. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Tops Cable News Ratings)
While viewership for ABC, NBC, and CBS also increased, the prime-time Fox News shows with Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham dominated the airwaves. Tucker and Hannity even beat out the Yankees-Nationals baseball game on opening day. The prime-time newscasters also outranked MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, despite MSNBC’s increasing viewership.
The executive chairman of Fox News’s parent company, Lachlan Murdoch, said on an earnings call that Fox News’ ratings were “astronomical” and that revenue had increased from last year, according to the report.
The network’s rise comes despite facing controversy and advertiser boycotts.
Daily Beast contributing editor Justin Baragona posted a clip from Tucker Carlson’s show in June where Tucker said, “This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will. Anyone who has ever been subjected to the rage of the mob knows the feeling. It’s like being swarmed by hornets.”
The clip sparked swift backlash from celebrities and advertisers, including T-Mobile, Papa John’s Pizza, and Disney, who all said they would stop advertising on Tucker Carlson’s show. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Responds To The ‘Mob’: Racism Accusations Are ‘A Way To Control Disobedience’)
#IStandWithTuckerCarlson trended on Twitter after users pointed out that the clip Baragona posted didn’t include the beginning of Tucker’s monologue, where he referred to “Democratic leaders.”
WATCH:
The viral Tweet that’s making the rounds of Tucker Carlson’s monologue tonight is about a minute long, and cuts out the majority of his speech. Here’s the full clip.
They don’t want you to see this. pic.twitter.com/7wqscy6oMu
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 9, 2020
“If Democratic leaders cared about saving the lives of black people – and they should – they wouldn’t ignore the murder of thousands of young black men in their cities every year,” he said before Baragona’s clip began.
“They wouldn’t out abortion clinics in black neighborhoods. They would instead do their very best to improve public schools and to encourage intact families, which we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is central to the life prospects of children.”