French news channels see audience growth in October 2026

French news channels experienced a significant rise in viewership during October 2026, driven by social unrest and national events. BFMTV and CNews ended the month in a tie, each capturing a 3.6% audience share. This follows a month where the combined audience share for the four major news channels (BFMTV, CNews, LCI, and franceinfo) reached 11.2%.

Coverage of a national day of action against the cost of living on October 17 contributed to high viewership. During that day, BFMTV reached a 7.2% audience share, while CNews reached 5.5%. Additionally, a televised address by President Emmanuel Macron drew 16.7 million viewers, representing a 77.9% audience share across major national networks.

While BFMTV and CNews are currently tied, their year-on-year trajectories differ. BFMTV has seen a 0.4 point increase over the previous year, whereas CNews has seen a 0.4 point decrease. LCI maintained a 2.8% share, marking its highest year-on-year growth at 0.5 points.