Also Wins 3rd Quarter and the Week in Key A25-54 Demo
#1 for 12 Consecutive Seasons in A25-54; 23 Straight Seasons in A18-49
Tops ABC and CBS for 5th Straight Quarter in Key Demo
September 24, 2019 – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1-most watched newscast for the 2018-2019 season, the third quarter of 2019 and the week of September 16, 2019, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Nightly News is #1 in A25-54 for the 12th straight season and #1 in A18-49 for the 23rd consecutive season, delivering its best streak ever in the demos vs. ABC’s World News Tonight and CBS Evening News. Nightly News averages 1.733 million viewers in the key news demo, topping ABC by +26,000 (+2%) and posting its biggest A25-54 advantage over CBS in seven seasons by +574,000 (+50%). The newscast averages 1.175 million viewers in the younger A18-49 demo, leading ABC by +19,000 (+2%) and CBS by +348,000 (+42%).
Nightly News wins third quarter in A25-54, marking its fifth straight quarter at #1 and with its best quarterly advantage over ABC in 2019. The newscast averages 1.534 million in A25-54, outpacing ABC by +33,000 (+2%) and CBS by +554,000 (+57,000).
Nightly News also tops ABC and CBS for another consecutive week in A25-54 and A18-49. The newscast averages 1.629 million in the key news demo, beating ABC by +91,000 (+6%) and CBS by +709,000 (+77%). Among A18-49, Nightly News averages 1.131 million, leading ABC by +40,000 (+4%) and CBS by +466,000 (+70%).
Yesterday, Holt sat down for an interview with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his only U.S. network interview at the United Nations General Assembly meeting. Last week, Holt reported from Alaska for the network’s “Climate in Crisis” series and also reported on California’s homelessness crisis from Los Angeles, speaking with those impacted and with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
2018-2019 Season:
Nightly News wins A25-54 and A18-49
- Nightly averaged 1.733 million A25-54
viewers, ahead of ABC by +26,000 (+2%) and CBS by +574,000 (+50%)
- 12th straight A25-54 season win over ABC, 26th season win over CBS with best advantage in 7 seasons
- Best streak among A25-54 viewers since the start of modern Nielsen ratings
- Nightly averaged 1.175 million A18-49
viewers, ahead of ABC by +19,000 (+2%) and CBS by +348,000 (+42%)
- This is Nightly’s 23rd straight A18-49 season win
- Longest A18-49 streak since the start of modern Nielsen ratings
| Program |
P25-54 Imps |
P18-49 Imps |
P2+ Imps |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 1.733 | 1.175 | 7.899 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 1.159 | 0.827 | 5.820 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1.707 | 1.156 | 8.564 |
3rd Quarter 2019:
Nightly News is #1 in A25-54
- Nightly averages 1.534 million A25-54 viewers, ahead of ABC by +33,000 (+2%) and CBS by +554,000 (+57%)
- This is Nightly’s 5th consecutive quarter win and 5th straight 3rd quarter win
| Program |
P25-54 Imps |
P18-49 Imps |
P2+ Imps |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 1.534 | 1.043 | 7.165 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 0.980 | 0.700 | 5.077 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1.501 | 1.044 | 8.092 |
Note: From July 4 – August 29, a contract dispute triggered a blackout of all Nexstar stations for AT&T and DirecTV subscribers. Approximately 27 NBC markets were impacted and we estimate the total impact to NBC Broadcast News to have been -2.5% to -3.0%. Nightly News ratings are comprised of telecasts with regular titling and include overnight airings on owned stations.
Week of Sept. 16, 2019:
Nightly News ranks #1 in A25-54 and A18-49
- Nightly averages 1.629 million A25-54 viewers, ahead of ABC by
+91,000 (+6%) and CBS by +709,000 (+77%)
- Vs. prior week, Nightly is up +22,000 (+1%) while ABC is up +5% and CBS is up +1%
- Vs. prior year, Nightly is down -27,000 (-2%); ABC is down -5% and CBS is down -20%
- Nightly
averages 1.131 million A18-49
viewers, ahead of ABC by +40,000 (+4%) and CBS by +466,000 (+70%)
- Vs. prior week, Nightly is up +29,000 (+3%) while ABC is up +4% and CBS is up +2%
- Vs. prior year, Nightly is up +36,000 (+3%); ABC is flat and CBS is down -17%
| Program |
P25-54 Rtg |
P25-54 Imps |
P18-49 Rtg |
P18-49 Imps |
P2+ Imps |
| NBC NIGHTLY NEWS | 1.34 | 1.629 | 0.87 | 1.131 | 7.333 |
| CBS EVENING NEWS | 0.76 | 0.920 | 0.51 | 0.665 | 5.037 |
| ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT | 1.27 | 1.538 | 0.84 | 1.091 | 8.134 |
Note: Nightly News ratings are comprised of telecasts with regular titling and include overnight airings on owned stations.
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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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For
more information, contact:
Dana Klinghoffer
