Fox Business posts record viewers day after debate

Fox Business Network posted a record viewing audience on the day after it hosted the Republican presidential debate.

On Wednesday, Fox Business recorded 192,000 total viewers for business day, up 98 percent when compared to the previous day.

In the 25- to 54-year-old demo, Fox Business scored 45,000 viewers – a 221 percent increase and higher than CNBC for business day in the ratings by 13 percent.

The debate was on the network Tuesday evening.

The highest-rated show of the day was Maria Bartiromo’s “Mornings with Maria,” which she anchored live from the Milwaukee Theatre. The 8 a.m. hour saw 317,000 total viewers and 65,000 in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, which was set a new record for the show.

The show also delivered the business new channel’s highest-rated 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. telecast ever with 271,000 total viewers and 73,000 in the 25 to 54 demo.

“Varney & Co.,” hosted by Stuart Varney, saw 275,000 total viewers and 64,000 in the demo – marking the networks highest-rated 9 a.m. to noon telecast ever.

Neil Cavuto also posted big numbers with 188,000 total viewers and 32,000 in the demo – also, besting CNBC during his noon to 2 p.m. show that he anchored from the Theatre as well.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.