Fox Business delivers most-watched presidential address coverage in network history

Fox Business Network delivered its most-watched presidential address coverage in network history on Tuesday with 593,000 total viewers during Trump’s speech to the joint session of Congress, according to Nielsen Research. 

Fox Business also registered 118,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic during the address that aired between 9 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. 

The special coverage anchored by Neil Cavuto topped business network rival CNBC, which didn’t provide coverage of the event, opting to broadcast repeats of the business reality program “Shark Tank” instead. 

{mosads}CNBC averaged 289,000 total viewers but did deliver 155,000 viewers in the key demographic for “Shark Tank.” 

Across all broadcast and cable news networks, coverage of the event drew 48 million viewers, according to final Nielsen data released Wednesday.
 
The 48 million for Trump falls short of President Obama’s first address in the same setting in 2009, which drew 52.4 million viewers, although online streaming options weren’t as popular or numerous as they are today.

Trump’s total viewers still tops Obama’s final State of the Union address ratings, which drew just 31.3 million viewers.