Updated November 4, 2026, 7:32 p.m. ET
Democrats weren’t the only big winners in the November 3 “blue wave” midterm elections. So were the television networks that covered them, with NBC News and go-to election guru Steve Kornacki leading the ratings charge.
NBC News dominated election night coverage on broadcast and cable networks, averaging more than 6.5 million viewers in prime time, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings released by NBC. This is the first time the network has won a midterm election night in terms of viewers in 24 years.
ABC’s coverage averaged 5.1 million total viewers, based on Nielsen data provided by the network.
The cable news race was tighter than the still-undecided Mississippi Senate race and tighter than a tick, with CNN drawing 4.159 million viewers, narrowly edging out MS NOW (4.156 million) and bronze medalist Fox News (4.04 million). The three cable channels finished 120,000 viewers apart.
CBS News, with anchors Tony Dokoupil and Norah O’Donnell leading election coverage, lagged behind the competition in broadcasting with 2.63 million viewers in prime time. A Fox News press release attacked CBS, noting that its “Evening News” show delivered “the lowest-rated midterms of the 21st century.” Ouch.
At the midpoint of 2022, NBC ranked fourth among the six major broadcast and cable news networks in total prime-time viewers, behind Fox News, ABC and MSNBC, according to Broadcasting+Cable. Its 3.1 million viewers represented less than half of its 2026 audience.
‘Kornacki Cam’ runs away in sneakers with 29 million views
Kornacki was himself a sensation on Election Night 2026. NBC’s “Kornacki Cam,” a live marathon that followed the sneaker-wearing numbers genius as he dissected the election results, ranked No. 1 among election livestreams on YouTube, according to NBC. The stream received a record 29 million views across all platforms, including 6.1 million on YouTube.
For the first time ever, Kornacki was able to appear simultaneously on NBC News’ election coverage and its dedicated “Kornacki Cam” livestream, all from the same physical set.
Kornacki’s election marathon ended unexpectedly after more than 10 hours. At 3:26 a.m. ET, the exhausted analyst announced he was taking a five-minute break and promised to return. He never did.
In an X post early on the morning of November 4, Kornacki explained that he had planned to be live for 13 hours but had to go out a little earlier than planned.
“I was sure 13 hours would be enough, but things caught up to me at the tenth hour,” he wrote, adding, “Sorry for the abrupt ending!”
Contributor: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
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