If longtime “The Five” co-host Geraldo Rivera thought the show would never do as well without him, he’s mistaken.
The hit Fox News show is once again dominating all cable news programs in the ratings, particularly recently since the longtime liberal co-host left the network.
Rivera reportedly left the network amid disputes with former hosts, as some reports suggested Rivera was constantly fighting with co-host Greg Gutfeld. There were also notable on-air clashes between Rivera and then-colleague Dan Bongino, who has also since left the network.
The popular program has been dominating MSNBC and CNN in the 5 PM ET timeslot in recent weeks. The show has been leading its rivals at MSNBC and CNN by double digi
On a recent day, “The Five” brought in 2.7 million total viewers compared to CNN’s Jake Tapper with 864,000. The “total day” viewership wasn’t close either as Fox News averaged 1.440 million, CNN was at 629,000, and MSNBC had 1.154 million for Tuesday.
Rivera, a longstanding liberal personality, announced in late July that he would be leaving the network.
“Fox & Friends” played a montage of Rivera’s greatest moments and a host of Fox News personalities spoke about the longtime media personality and what he meant to them.“I feel emotional and deeply moved. I will always remember this morning. It is something that I didn’t expect. This celebration is beyond anything we’ve ever done,” he said after the montage played. “Thank you. I am deeply – I am honored. I love Fox and the people at Fox. I always will. I will never let anyone separate us. I am beyond grateful, I love you for it.”
“We reached an amicable conclusion with Geraldo over the past few weeks and look forward to celebrating him tomorrow on Fox & Friends which will be his last appearance on the network,” a Fox News spokesperson told Mediaite.
Fox News has rebounded well in recent months since revamping its primetime line-up following its decision to take star Tucker Carlson off the air in late April, which initially caused a huge loss of viewers, many of them bolting for rival conservative network Newsmax TV.
Advertisement
In fact, a handful of current Fox News talent have contemplated jumping ship and joining Carlson, according to several media reports. Carlson has been airing a version of his program on Twitter, most recently interviewing a leading libertarian-minded presidential candidate in Argentina.
“Carlson’s Twitter move could have additional reverberations with talent at the network. A handful of Fox anchors have reached out to Carlson directly or had their surrogates contact him to say they are eager to join whatever venture he starts on Twitter when their contracts are up, according to sources,” Media Post reported.
Carlson currently remains under contract with Fox News at a reported $20 million a year, so he isn’t free to sign on with another network. Reports said his contract doesn’t expire until after the 2024 election, in January 2025.
