#1 in Key Demo for 26 of the Last 28 Weeks
Key Demo Hits 47 Week High; Strongest Advantage Over ABC in 17 Weeks
#1 Most Watched Season-to-Date in Key Demo
JANUARY 15, 2018 – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 most-watched evening broadcast in the key news demo for the week of January 7, according to Nielsen Media Research data. Nightly News has won the key demo 26 of the last 28 weeks, grew week-over-week, and posted its strongest advantage over ABC in 17 weeks.
The broadcast continues its strong performance in the key news demo averaging 2.1 million A25-54 viewers, hitting a 47-week high and besting ABC World News Tonight by +162,000 viewers (+8%) and CBS Evening News by +676,000 viewers (+48%). Nightly News continues as the #1 most-watched evening newscast season-to-date in the demo most valued by news advertisers, delivering its largest demo lead over CBS in five seasons.
Last week, NBC Nightly News launched “Justice for All,” a new criminal justice series focusing on unjust sentencing and unreliable convictions, highlighting the stories of the wrongfully accused and the new ways of seeking justice. As part of the series, last Tuesday Holt spoke exclusively with Matthew Charles, one of the first prisoners released under the new federal criminal justice reform law.
The series officially launched last Monday with an exclusive interview with Cyntoia Brown’s lawyers. Brown was granted clemency yesterday by the Tennessee governor for a murder she committed when she was 16, and has received national recognition from celebrities and criminal justice reform advocates.
For the week of January 7, Nightly News averaged 1.4 million A18-49 viewers topping ABC by +111,000 (+8%) and CBS by +413,000 viewers (+41%). Nightly News grew week-over-week and has won A18-49 for 19 of the past 21 weeks.
Nightly News averaged 9.0 million total viewers for the week of January 7, growing week-over-week and leading CBS Evening News by 2.3 million total viewers (+35%).
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Weekly Highlights:
- Nightly News averaged 2.1 million A25-54 viewers, outperforming ABC by + 162,000 (+8%) and CBS by + 676,000 (+48%).
- Nightly News is now #1 in the key demo for 26 of the past 28 weeks.
- Nightly News hit a 47 week high in the key demo and posted its strongest advantage over ABC in 17 weeks.
- Nightly News averaged 1.4 million A18-49 viewers, topping ABC by +111,000 viewers (+8%) and CBS by +413,000 (+41%).
- Nightly News has won A18-49 for 19 of the past 21 weeks.
- Nightly News averaged 9.0 million total viewers, beating CBS by +2.3 million (+35%).
- Nightly News grew week-over-week across the board.
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 January 7 – January 11, 2018:
| Total Viewers | A25-54 Rating | A25-54 Viewers | A18-49 Rating | A18-49 Viewers | ||
| NBC | 8.996 | 1.73 | 2.090 | 1.11 | 1.425 | |
| CBS | 6.673 | 1.17 | 1.414 | 0.79 | 1.012 | |
| ABC | 9.415 | 1.60 | 1.928 | 1.02 | 1.314 |
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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
