NBC Nightly News is the #1 Evening Newscast Across the Board for the First Week of the 2024 Paris Olympics

For The First Time In Nearly 6 Years, ‘Nightly’ Tops ABC For Week, Delivers Largest Key A25-54 Demo Win Over ABC In 8 Years

‘Nightly’ Marks Biggest A25-54 Audience In 2.5 Years, Viewership Up Double Digits in Year-Over-Year Measurements

Lester Holt Continues to Anchor ‘Nightly’ from Paris This Week

August 5, 2024 — NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 evening newscast across the board for the first week of the 2024 Paris Olympics, topping ABC’s World News Tonight in all key measurements for the first time in nearly six years (since 11/18/2018, excluding ties).  According to Nielsen Media Research for the week of 7/29/2024, Nightly News averages 7.658 million total viewers, topping ABC by +199,000 and CBS by +3.185 million. In the key A25-54 demo, Nightly News averages 1.445 million A25-54 viewers, leading ABC by +480,000 and CBS by +850,000. In A18-49 demo, Nightly News averages 1.140 million, beating ABC by +461,000 and CBS by +779,000. Nightly News continues its best start of the season vs. ABC in 4 years.  Holt began anchoring the broadcast from Paris on Friday, July 26.Additional highlights include: 

  • Nightly News delivers the largest A25-54 demo win over ABC in 8 years (since 2016 Rio Olympics), biggest total viewer win over network in 2+ years (since 11/21)
  • Nightly News marks its largest A25-54 audience in 2.5 years (since 2/2022) and its biggest total viewer audience since January 2023
  • In year over year measurements, Nightly is up across the board: +29% in total viewers, +55% in A25-54 & +77% in A18-49
  • Nightly News is the only evening newscast up across the board in year-over-year and week-over-week                  

NIGHTLY NEWS (M-F)

ProgramP25-54P18-49P2+
ImpsImpsImps
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS1,44511407,658
CBS EVENING NEWS5953614,473
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT9656797,459
Source: Nielsen Nationals, LS, 7/29-8/1/2024. Nielsen Fast Ratings, LS, excluding OOH for 8/2/2024. Note: NBC for Friday, 8/2 is Nielsen Fast Ratings, excluding OOH; ABC rated for 3 evenings (Mon-Wed); CBS rated for 4 evenings (Mon-Thu).