President Donald Trump addressed the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, claiming the event drew higher television ratings than NFL programming despite airing against a major sports broadcast.
Fox News, the only major cable news network to carry Trump’s full address, averaged 2.5 million total viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. ET, according to preliminary Nielsen data. The network peaked at 2.8 million viewers at 9:45 p.m. ET, with 229,000 viewers in the 25-54 age demographic throughout the nearly two-hour speech. These figures were roughly level with Fox News’ typical programming for that time slot.
Trump highlighted the event’s reach in a post on Truth Social, stating: “It was really something, streaming all over the place, and really big numbers, despite going up against the NFL. The overall numbers beat the NFL.” His remarks came after he spoke for nearly two hours at the convention.
Comparative Viewership Context
Preliminary data from NBC Sports indicates that the 2025 NFL season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks drew 28.3 million viewers, a figure significantly higher than Fox News’ average during Trump’s address. Mediaite reported that Fox News’ viewership for the speech was comparable to the channel’s usual programming levels for that time period.
Network Performance Details
Fox News’ performance during Trump’s speech placed it ahead of two of its cable news competitors in overall viewership, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network’s peak viewership of 2.8 million occurred midway through the address, reflecting sustained audience engagement.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as additional ratings data becomes available.