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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
Fox News host Jesse Watters got some great news this week after he began a new “prime-time” slot following a network shake-up after former star Tucker Carlson was booted off the air in April.
According to reports, Watters garnered 3.8 million viewers in his new 7 p.m. ET slot, which used to belong to Carlson — the best showing for the network in a year.
“In fact, Watters’ debut scored double the viewership for the hour compared to the same day in 2021 and more viewers than every ‘Fox News Primetime’ telecast since the show launched last year with a rotating cast of hosts,” The Wrap reported.
Watters attracted a larger audience, including 537,000 viewers in the coveted age demographic of 25 to 54, than any other Fox News program in the 7 p.m. time slot since January 6, 2021, the day of the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
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The Wrap noted further:
Notably, “Jesse Watters Primetime” got more viewers than ABC’s “The Bachelor.” CNN’s 7 p.m. offering, “Erin Burnett OutFront,” drew 700,000 total average viewers, while MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” netted 1.2 million, giving “Jesse Watters Primetime” a 446% advantage and a 216% advantage over each of them respectively.
“The Five,” which Watters also co-hosts, was the top-rated cable program on Monday, pulling in 3.9 million total average viewers, of whom 588,000 were in the demo.
Additionally, FNC’s “The Five” at 5 PM/ET remained the top-rated live program in all of cable, with 3.9 million total viewers and 588,000 in the demo.
“Watters beat CNN’s Anderson Cooper, 666,000 viewers, and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, 1,306,000, combined,” Slay News added.
Meanwhile, the outlet noted, “Greg Gutfield had the highest ratings in prime time at 10 p.m. in the 25-54 demo delivering a 46 percent increase in demo viewers. Gutfeld had 1.9 million total viewers.”
Earlier in the month, Watters spoke about his new time slot and praised Fox for providing him the opportunity, saying his show is “in touch with the American people,” unlike many other news outlets.
“If you only watch and read the mainstream media, you’re living in a different world. My mother only reads The New York Times, and she has no idea that the Biden family was taking bribes from overseas,” Watters said, joking that he has to show his mother “real news” that she misses.
“We cover the stories that a lot of other people don’t cover because we know what the American people care about. They care about crime, care about corruption, care about the border,” Watters said. “When I cover a story, the first thing I think of is, ‘Do I care about this?'”
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“I don’t speak for the American people. The American people speak to me, and we put on a show that the American people want to hear because we’re in touch with the American people,” Watters said.
“I can’t change, I can only get better,” Watters joked. “But fundamentally, my show will not change. I’m going to showcase serious news topics and serious stories. I do it in a way that some people call entertaining, but you know, no one says the news has to be boring.”
“There is pressure every night,” he said. “I don’t look at it as pressure, I look at it as an opportunity, and I’m very grateful and humbled by the opportunity. I just try to put on a killer show every night for the audience. That’s my goal.”
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“I’m slightly concerned about the dinner situation. The new hour not only affects the dinner situation, but it also affects the lunch situation,” Watters deadpanned. “That will be the part of me that changes. Everything else about me will stay the same. I might have to eat lunch at home.”
Meanwhile, Laura Ingraham moved from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sean Hannity stayed at 9 p.m. and Greg Gutfeld moved to 10 p.m.
Longtime news anchor Trace Gallagher will move up to 11 p.m.
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