Fox News dominates prime-time ratings during Afghanistan crisis

Fox News beat out all other cable news outlets last week as the crisis in Afghanistan dominated the news cycle. 

Fox notched its 27th consecutive week with the most total day and prime-time viewers of any cable news network from Aug. 16 through Aug. 22, according to Nielsen Media Research. 

The network averaged 2.9 million viewers in prime time, including 518,000 in the key 25-54 age demographic. 

Outside of cable news, Fox also defeated all broadcast networks with total viewers in prime time for the week, including NBC, which earned 2.6 million; CBS, which earned 2.4 million; and ABC, which earned 2.3 million. 

For the first time since its launch, host Greg Gutfeld beat out “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” for the week among viewers aged 25-54. In the 18-49 age demographic, Gutfeld defeated “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

A number of Fox News day time programs, including “America Reports,” “America’s Newsroom” and the “Faulkner Focus,” also recorded yearly highs during breaking new coverage of the crisis in Afghanistan, the network said.