‘Nightly’ Topped ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ Multiple Weeks in A25-54, Cutting Demo Gap vs. ABC by Nearly 50%
‘Nightly’ Grew Across the Board vs. Last Season, Dominating Evening News Competition in Demo Growth
2025-2026 Broadcast Season: Ratings Highlights
- Nightly News delivered its best competitive season in 7 years vs. ABC in the key demo A25-54, winning multiple weeks
- Nightly News cut demo gaps vs. ABC by double digits, including by nearly 50% in A25-54
- Nightly News grew across the board vs. last season, including leading competition in key demo growth
- Nightly News ranked the #6 most-watched broadcast for the season, averaging 6.5 million viewers, excluding specials, sports & syndication
2025-2026 Broadcast Season: Ratings Stats
- Averaged 6.5 million total viewers, topping CBS by +2.5 million (+62%)
- Nightly News grew its total viewer audience by +320,000 vs. last season
- Nightly News delivered its largest total viewer audience in two years
- Averaged 941,000 A25-54 viewers, leading CBS by +422,000 (+81%)
- Nightly News led evening news competition in A25-54 growth, increasing the demo audience by +103,000 (+12%)
- Vs. prior season, Nightly News improved its A25-54 gap vs. ABC by 46%, its closest gap in seven years
- Nightly News delivered its largest A25-54 audience in three years
- Averaged 663,000 A18-49 viewers, topping CBS by +286,000 (+76%)
- Led competition in A18-49 growth, increasing the demo audience by +92,000 (+16%)
- Vs. prior season, Nightly News improved its A18-49 gap vs. ABC by 30%
- Nightly News delivered its largest A18-49 audience in three years
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3Q26: NIGHTLY NEWS WITH TOM LLAMAS MARKS LARGEST AUDIENCES IN 5 YEARS
Nightly Delivers Its Largest Demo Audiences in 5 Years, Largest Total Viewer Audience in 6 Years
Nightly Grew Across the Board vs. 3Q25, Dominating Evening News Competition in Growth
Nightly Delivers Closest 3Q Demo Gaps vs. ABC in Two Years
3rd Quarter 2026: Ratings Highlights
- Nightly News delivers its largest audience in the demos for a 3rd quarter in 5 years and in total viewers in 6 years
- Nightly News leads evening news competition in A25-54 and A18-49 growth vs. last year
- Nightly News marks its closest demo gaps in a 3Q vs. ABC in two years
- Nightly News is the #4 most-watched program in all of TV in total viewers for the quarter, averaging 6.6 million total viewers, excluding specials, sports & syndication
3rd Quarter: Nightly Stats
Averages 6.6 million total viewers, topping CBS by + 2.685 million (+69%)
- Nightly News increases total viewers by +285,000 vs. last quarter, +885,000 vs. last year
Averages 1 million A25-54 viewers, beating CBS by +470,000 (+90%)
- Nightly News increases A25-54 viewers by +77,000 vs. prior quarter, +236,000 vs. last year
- Nightly News closes the A25-54 gap vs. ABC last year by 35%
Averages 728,000 A18-49 viewers, beating CBS by +351,000 (+93%)
- Nightly News increases A18-49 viewership vs. last quarter by +78,000, last year by +212,000
- Nightly News closes the A18-49 gap vs. ABC last year by 11%, last quarter by 22%
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2025-2026 Broadcast Season
| Program | P25-54 | P18-49 | P2+ |
| Imps | Imps | Imps | |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 941 | 663 | 6,499 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 519 | 377 | 4,015 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1,036 | 763 | 8,282 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, L+SD, 9/22/2026-9/17/2026, average audience based on regularly-titled telecasts only.
3Q 2026
| Program | P25-54 | P18-49 | P2+ |
| Imps | Imps | Imps | |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 992 | 728 | 6,596 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 522 | 377 | 3,910 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1,095 | 826 | 8,347 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, L+SD, 6/29/2026-9/17/2026, average audience based on regularly-titled telecasts only.
