#1 in Key Demo for 12 Straight Weeks
#1 Most Watched Season to Date in Key Demo; Widens Lead Over ABC Vs. Last Year
Only Broadcast to Grow Total Audience Year-Over-Year
OCTOBER 23, 2018 – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 most-watched evening broadcast in the key news demo for the week of October 15, according to Nielsen Media Research data. Nightly News continues as the #1 most-watched evening newscast season-to-date in the key demo, delivering its largest demo lead over CBS in five seasons.
The broadcast continues its strong performance in the key demo averaging 1.7 million A25-54 viewers, besting ABC World News Tonight by +160,000 viewers (+10%). The broadcast not only widened its year-over-year lead against ABC, but nearly tripled its week-over-week advantage. The broadcast topped CBS Evening News by +599,000 viewers (+54%). Nightly News has won the key demo for 12 consecutive weeks.
For the week of October 15, Nightly News is the most-watched broadcast among A18-49 viewers, averaging 1.2 million. The broadcast topped ABC by +103,000 viewers (+10%) – more than doubling its year-over-year advantage – and CBS by +399,000 viewers (+51%).
7.8 million total viewers tuned in to Nightly News for the week of October 15 leading CBS Evening News by 2.1 million total viewers (+36%) and posting the narrowest total viewer margin against ABC since winning the first week of the PyeongChang Games (2/05/2018).
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Weekly Highlights:
- Nightly News averaged 1.7 million A25-54 viewers, outperforming ABC by +160,000 viewers (+10%) and CBS by +599,000 (+54%).
- Nightly News widened its year-over-year key demo lead over ABC and nearly tripled its week-over-week advantage.
- Nightly News has won the key demo for 12 consecutive weeks.
- Nightly News averaged 1.2 million A18-49 viewers, topping ABC by +103,000 (+10%) and CBS by +399,000 (+51%).
- Nightly News more than doubled its A18-49 advantage over ABC compared to last year.
- Nightly News averaged 7.8 million total viewers, beating CBS by +2.1 million (+36%).
- Nightly News posted the narrowest total viewer margin against ABC since winning the first week of the PyeongChang Games (2/05/2018).
Season Highlights:
- Nightly News is the #1 evening newscast this season in A25-54 and A18-49.
- Nightly News holds its largest A25-54 demo advantage over CBS in five seasons.
Week of October 15 – October 19, 2018:
| Total Viewers | A25-54 Rating | A25-54 Viewers | A18-49 Rating | A18-49 Viewers | |
| NBC | 7.828 | 1.42 | 1.718 | 0.91 | 1.177 |
| CBS | 5.748 | 0.93 | 1.119 | 0.60 | 0.778 |
| ABC | 8.000 | 1.29 | 1.558 | 0.83 | 1.074 |
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ABOUT NBC NIGHTLY NEWS WITH LESTER HOLT
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the most-watched evening newscast in America among the key news demo for the past 21 seasons. The broadcast provides the very latest on the day’s top stories, going beyond the headlines to add context and analysis to the most pressing issues of our time. NBC Nightly News reaches more than 24 million people every week through its broadcast and millions more through NBCNews.com, the Nightly News app, and social media platforms. Lester Holt is the anchor, and Jenn Suozzo is the executive producer.
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For more information contact:
TJ Ducklo
NBC News
212-664-1913
Rachel Zuckerman
NBC News
212-664-3996
