#1 in Key Demo for 15 Straight Weeks; Hits 33 Week High
Only Broadcast to Grow Key Demo and A18-49 Audience Year-Over-Year
33 Week High in Total Viewers; Narrowest Gap Vs. ABC Since 2018 Winter Olympics
NOVEMBER 13, 2018 – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 most-watched evening broadcast in the key news demo for the week of November 5, 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 2.0 million A25-54 viewers, besting ABC World News Tonight by +124,000 viewers (+7%) and more than tripling its week-over-week lead. The broadcast topped CBS Evening News by +722,000 viewers (+57%). Nightly News has won the key demo for 15 consecutive weeks and hit a 33-week viewer high. Additionally, the broadcast grew its key demo audience week-over-week and was the only broadcast to grow year-over-year.
This morning, Holt was voted the most trusted news anchor in America by an all-new Morning Consult/Hollywood Reporter survey. Last Thursday, Holt anchored the broadcast from Thousand Oaks, Calif. in the wake of the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill. On Friday, he anchored from Pacific Palisades to report on the wildfires raging across the state.
For the week of November 5, Nightly News averaged 1.4 million A18-49 viewers topping ABC by +147,000 (+12%) and CBS by +477,000 viewers (+52%). Nightly News has won A18-49 for 11 of the past 12 weeks, grew week-over-week, and was the only broadcast to grow year-over-year.
8.6 million total viewers tuned in to Nightly News for the week of November 5 leading CBS Evening News by 2.3 million total viewers (+37%) and posting the narrowest total viewer margin against ABC since winning the first week of the PyeongChang Games (2/05/2018). The broadcast grew week-over-week and hit a 33 week high in total viewers.
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Weekly Highlights:
- Nightly News averaged 2.0 million A25-54 viewers, outperforming ABC by +124,000 viewers (+7%) and CBS by +722,000 (+57%).
- Nightly News has won the key demo for 15 consecutive weeks and hit a 33 week high.
- Nightly News more than tripled its week-over-week key demo advantage over ABC.
- Nightly News averaged 1.4 million A18-49 viewers, topping ABC by +147,000 viewers (+12%) CBS by +477,000 (+52%).
- Nightly News has won A18-49 for 11 of the past 12 weeks.
- Nightly News averaged 8.6 million total viewers, beating CBS by +2.3 million (+37%).
- Nightly News posted the narrowest total viewer margin against ABC since winning the first week of the PyeongChang Games (2/05/2018) and hit a 33 week total viewer high.
- Nightly News grew across-the-board week over week and was the only broadcast to grow its key demo and A18-49 audience year-over-year.
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 November 5 – November 9, 2018:
| Total Viewers | A25-54 Rating | A25-54 Viewers | A18-49 Rating | A18-49 Viewers | |
| NBC | 8.564 | 1.65 | 1.991 | 1.08 | 1.394 |
| CBS | 6.250 | 1.05 | 1.269 | 0.71 | 0.917 |
| ABC | 8.734 | 1.55 | 1.867 | 0.97 | 1.247 |
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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
