Lachlan Murdoch Cites Fox Viewer Fatigue

What happened

Updated Nov 2, 4:40pm ET

Lachlan Murdoch attributed Fox News’ declining ratings to viewer fatigue ahead of the midterms. Fox’s October 2026 primetime audience was down 28% from 2025; total-day viewership fell about 27%. Even so, Fox remained the most-watched cable news network, ahead of CNN and MS NOW. The drop came before the midterms, while CNN and MS NOW gained year over year. Fox’s close relationship with Trump and Republican viewers leaves it exposed when its political side struggles. Murdoch said Fox viewers watched less television overall, not rival networks. He said 2025 had unusual news, including Donald Trump’s inauguration and Charlie Kirk’s killing. He compared this midterm cycle to 2006. Fox’s 25-to-54 total-day audience was about 98,000, its lowest month in 25 years.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets cast Murdoch’s fatigue explanation as weak because rival networks were gaining during the same election season. CNN tied the slump to speculation that Republican-heavy viewers were discouraged by the midterms. MS NOW framed Fox as trapped by its dependence on Trump, with loyalty risking fatigue and distance risking backlash.