Among cable-news networks, MSNBC came in second and CNN third. But more tuned in to the finales of either ‘Survivor’ or ‘The Masked Singer’ than to any cable news channel.

As the House of Representatives cast the deciding votes to impeach President Trump on Wednesday, the number of people watching cable news was far greater than usual, according to Nielsen.

Roughly 11 million people tuned into the big-three cable news channels, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, significantly more than the average of 5.7 million viewers who watch at that time on a typical night.

The opinion host Tucker Carlson, who called the impeachment “a disgrace,” was the lead on-air personality on Fox News as the House members cast their votes. He was joined for a time by the anchor Bret Baier. The Wednesday episode of Mr. Carlson’s 8 p.m. show trounced its cable-news rivals, averaging five million viewers during the hour, a 67 percent increase from the usual “Tucker Carlson Tonight” audience.

At the same time, MSNBC drew 3.2 million viewers, better than the 1.7 million viewers who usually watch the channel at that hour. Brian Williams and Nicolle Wallace anchored the hour, and the usual 8 p.m. MSNBC host, Chris Hayes, offered commentary in favor of impeachment.

CNN came in third among the cable-news networks in viewership, with an audience of 2.8 million, more than double the usual number for Anderson Cooper’s 8 p.m. hour.

Viewership rose for the cable news networks as commentators discussed the ramifications of the third impeachment of a president: a total of 12 million people watched CNN, Fox News and MSNBC from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. E.S.T., according to Nielsen.

Only one broadcast network — NBC — stayed live with the House proceedings during the 8 p.m. hour, pre-empting a rerun of “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” an unscripted celebrity gift-giving bonanza starring Ellen DeGeneres. In early figures, Nielsen said nearly five million viewers tuned into NBC, but those numbers are subject to change.

The broadcast networks ABC, CBS and Fox decided to stick with previously scheduled entertainment programming, for the most part, with ABC and CBS briefly interrupting their prime time shows with special reports.

While the surge in cable-news viewers suggested wide interest in the impeachment proceedings, millions of people were more interested in nonnews fare. ABC’s live, back-to-back restagings of two vintage Norman Lear comedies, “All in the Family” and “Good Times,” averaged 5.6 million viewers during the 8 p.m. hour, according to early Nielsen numbers. CBS’s three-hour season finale of “Survivor,” which concluded a difficult season, was viewed by 6.7 million people from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

About 6.4 million viewers tuned in for the conclusion of “The Masked Singer,” which revealed the identity of Steampunk Fox.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/business/media/fox-news-impeachment-ratings.html