#1 in Key A25-54 and A18-49 Demos for May 2019 Sweeps
4th Consecutive May Sweep Win in A25-54; 16th Straight Sweep Win in A18-49
May 24, 2019 – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 most-watched evening newscast for the May 2019 sweep period, according to Nielsen Media Research, in both the key A25-54 and A18-49 demos. This marks Nightly News’ 4th consecutive May sweep win in A25-54 and its 16th consecutive sweep win in A18-49.
The broadcast averaged 1.59 million viewers in A25-54, the demo most valued by advertisers, beating CBS by +514,000 and ABC by +2,000. Among the younger A18-49 demo, Nightly News led with 1.073 million, topping CBS by +296,000 and ABC by +7,000.
During this May sweep period, Holt had an exclusive interview with the American Airlines CEO about the return of Boeing 737 Max jets. He also spoke with director Ava DuVernay and all five of the men known as the “Central Park Five” for Nightly News’ “Justice for All” series. Additionally, the newscast featured interviews with Queen Latifah and Rosemarie Aquilina, the judge in the Larry Nassar case, for the new series, “Her Take with Cynthia McFadden.” On World Press Freedom Day, Nightly News spoke with the parents of detained freelance journalist Austin Tice.
May 2019 Sweeps:
- Nightly won among A25-54 with 1.590 million viewers ahead of ABC by +2,000 (+0.1%) and ahead of CBS by +514,000 (+48)
- Nightly has won the last 4 consecutive May sweep periods among A25-54
- Nightly won among A18-49 with 1.073 viewers ahead of ABC by +7,000 (+1%) and CBS by 296,000 (+38%)
- Nightly has won the last 16 consecutive sweep periods among A18-49
| Program |
P25-54 Imps |
P18-49 Imps |
P2+ Imps |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 1.590 | 1.073 | 7.433 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 1.076 | .777 | 5.570 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1.588 | 1.066 | 8.238 |
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NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the most-watched evening newscast in America among the key news demo, and reaches over 24 million people every week through its broadcast and millions more through NBCNews.com, the Nightly News app, The Nightly newsletter and social media platforms. The broadcast provides the latest on the day’s top stories, going beyond the headlines to uncover how people’s lives are affected by the world around them. Lester Holt is the anchor, and was named the most-trusted television news personality in America, according to The Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult 2018 survey. Jennifer Suozzo is the executive producer.
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NBC News contact:
Dana Klinghoffer
212-664-4088
