Thursday’s Newscast Is the #1 Most-Watched Program on Television in A25-54 Last Week
Up the Most Across-the-Board Vs. Prior Year – +94% in A25-54, +110% in A18-49 and +53% in Total Viewers
Also Claims 5 Out of the Top 6 Shows in Key Demo for the Week
WEEK OF 3/16/20
- NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is the #1 most-watched newscast as it continues to cover the coronavirus pandemic – #1 in the key A25-54 and A18-49 demos, according to Nielsen Media Research. (see the below Nielsen chart)
- Nightly’s Thursday broadcast is the #1 television program in America for the week in the key A25-54 demo. Additionally, Nightly’s full week of programs make up five out of the top six shows in the demo. (see the below Nielsen chart)
- Nightly is up the most across the board vs. the prior year – +94% in A25-54, +110% in A18-49 and +53%.
A25-54: Nightly averages 3.262 million A25-54 viewers, ahead of ABC by +380,000 (+13%) and CBS by +1.613 (+98%)
- Nightly has its highest A25-54 viewership since the week of July 30, 2012; best advantage over ABC in 110 weeks (since week of 2/5/2018)
- Vs. prior year, Nightly delivers viewership increase – up +1.584 million (+94%) while ABC is up +66% and CBS is up +30%
A18-49: Nightly averages 2.380 million A18-49 viewers, ahead of ABC by +330,000 (+16%) and CBS by +1.180 million (+98%)
- Nightly has its best advantage over ABC in 117 weeks (since week of 12/18/2017)
- Vs. prior year, Nightly posts viewership increase – up +1.249 million (+110%) while ABC is up +77% and CBS is up +29%
Total Viewers: Nightly averages 12.006 million total viewers, leading CBS by +4.404 million (+58%)
- Nightly has its highest total viewership since the week of January 3, 2005
- Vs. prior year, Nightly delivers a viewership increase of +4.141 (+53%) while ABC is up +46% and CBS is up +21%
EVENING NEWSCAST RATINGS VS. PRIOR YEAR
| Total Viewers | A25-54 | |||
| 03/16/2020-03/22/2020 | (000) | vs. PY | (000) | vs. PY |
| NBC Nightly News | 12,006 | +53% | 3,262 | +94% |
| ABC World News Tonight | 12,545 | +46% | 2,882 | +66% |
| CBS Evening News | 7,602 | +21% | 1,649 | +30% |
| 3NET | 32,154 | +42% | 7,793 | +67% |
Note: NBC Nightly News, World News Tonight and CBS Evening News’ ratings are comprised of telecasts with regular titling and include overnight airings on owned stations. Nightly News’ ratings include 7:30pm airings across some owned stations whileWorld News Tonight’s ratings include 3:30pm airings in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
TOP 25 SHOWS FOR THE WEEK, RANKED BY A25-54 and P2+ (excluding syndication)
| P25-54 | ||||
| 1 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/19/2020 | 3549 |
| 2 | MASKED SINGER, THE | FOX | 03/18/2020 | 3323 |
| 3 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/16/2020 | 3288 |
| 4 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 3239 |
| 5 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/17/2020 | 3103 |
| 5 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/20/2020 | 3103 |
| 7 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/16/2020 | 3065 |
| 8 | VOICE | NBC | 03/16/2020 | 3017 |
| 9 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/19/2020 | 3001 |
| 10 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/18/2020 | 2835 |
| 11 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/20/2020 | 2753 |
| 12 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/17/2020 | 2745 |
| 13 | SURVIVOR | CBS | 03/18/2020 | 2686 |
| 14 | THIS IS US | NBC | 03/17/2020 | 2422 |
| 15 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 03/19/2020 | 2378 |
| 16 | 9-1-1 | FOX | 03/16/2020 | 2335 |
| 17 | AMERICAN IDOL-SUN | ABC | 03/22/2020 | 2331 |
| 18 | CONNERS | ABC | 03/17/2020 | 2261 |
| 19 | CHICAGO FIRE | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 2214 |
| 20 | CHICAGO MED | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 2205 |
| 21 | STATION 19 | ABC | 03/19/2020 | 2143 |
| 22 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 03/22/2020 | 2139 |
| 23 | ELLENS GAME OF GAMES | NBC | 03/17/2020 | 2108 |
| 24 | NEIGHBORHOOD | CBS | 03/16/2020 | 2080 |
| 25 | CHICAGO PD | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 1969 |
| P2+ | ||||
| 1 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/16/2020 | 12872 |
| 2 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/19/2020 | 12817 |
| 3 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/19/2020 | 12754 |
| 4 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/17/2020 | 12446 |
| 5 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/18/2020 | 12383 |
| 6 | ABC WORLD NEWS MF | ABC | 03/20/2020 | 12181 |
| 7 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 11911 |
| 8 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/20/2020 | 11904 |
| 9 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/17/2020 | 11706 |
| 10 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS M-F | NBC | 03/16/2020 | 11698 |
| 11 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 03/22/2020 | 10895 |
| 12 | VOICE | NBC | 03/16/2020 | 9979 |
| 13 | CHICAGO MED | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 9173 |
| 14 | CHICAGO FIRE | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 9017 |
| 15 | ABC WLD NEWS-SA-ERLY | ABC | 03/21/2020 | 8644 |
| 16 | MASKED SINGER, THE | FOX | 03/18/2020 | 8010 |
| 17 | SURVIVOR | CBS | 03/18/2020 | 7830 |
| 18 | CBS EVENING NEWS | CBS | 03/16/2020 | 7771 |
| 19 | CBS EVENING NEWS | CBS | 03/18/2020 | 7747 |
| 20 | AMERICAN IDOL-SUN | ABC | 03/22/2020 | 7692 |
| 21 | NBC NIGHTLY NEWS-SAT. | NBC | 03/21/2020 | 7687 |
| 22 | CBS EVENING NEWS | CBS | 03/19/2020 | 7606 |
| 23 | CHICAGO PD | NBC | 03/18/2020 | 7503 |
| 24 | CBS EVENING NEWS | CBS | 03/17/2020 | 7472 |
| 25 | NCIS: LA | CBS | 03/22/2020 | 7438 |
