After reaching its highest ratings ever in 2020, viewership on Fox News has severely plummeted in the first two weeks of 2021.

Fox News has been the most-watched cable news network for the past 20 years, but following the presidential election and the Capitol riot, viewers have been less inclined to tune into the network.

The average viewership is down by about 20 percent compared to their ratings prior to November, Forbes reports.

In the first week of 2021, Fox News found itself at the number three spot among cable news shows. The network pulled in 1.7 million viewers per day and around 3.2 million in primetime.

Meanwhile, CNN was able to snag the No. 1 spot, averaging around 2.8 million viewers per day and around 4.2 million during primetime. MSNBC trailed behind the network in second place with a reported 2.3 million viewers per day and 3.8 million for primetime.

Mark Lukasiewicz, a former NBC News and MSNBC executive, suggested Fox News' decline may be attributed to the conflicting feelings of Trump supports following the Capitol riot.

“The unified wall of support for Trump has splintered after last week’s assault on the Capitol,” Lukasiewicz told CNN.

“Republicans are disagreeing with Republicans on the most basic questions: Should Trump be impeached? Should he be convicted? Does he bear responsibility for what happened? I suspect traditionally conservative audiences are bewildered and confused. Confusion is certainly apparent among many conservative media producers and commentators -- trying to find their footing as the story of the Capitol assault, and the President’s reaction keeps getting worse.”

Meanwhile, a Mediate post noted that CNN has put a spotlight on the Capitol riot whereas, “Fox News opted to cover lesser stories, like tech censorship, in primetime.”

Over the last two weeks, Fox averaged about 1 million viewers less than CNN and 800,000 fewer than MSNBC.

However, Fox News may be poised to see a rebound. In the past, the network has experienced dips following the election of a Democrat president but was able to regain its top spot.

Fox News content will be available on a new streaming service that will reach 20 countries by the end of the year, according to the media group formed by mogul Rupert Murdoch
Fox News content will be available on a new streaming service that will reach 20 countries by the end of the year, according to the media group formed by mogul Rupert Murdoch GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / ALEX WONG
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