Observed Signal · Oct 1, 2026 · Earnings Report · Source: Adweek · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Positive
ABC World News Tonight Leads Evening News Ratings
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir began the 2026-2027 broadcast season as the only evening newscast to grow or hold its audience, averaging 8.388 million total viewers and 1.153 million Adults 25-54 for the week of September 21, 2026. This marked its 11th consecutive year as the most-watched evening newscast and its strongest season-opening week in six years. NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas finished second with 6.495 million total viewers and 970,000 in the demo, while CBS Evening News averaged 3.98 million and 497,000. Ratings are based on Nielsen live+same-day data. These ratings reflect the competitive landscape of broadcast evening news, relevant to advertisers and media planners.
Ratings news for broadcast evening newscasts is relevant for advertisers planning linear TV buys, but it's a routine weekly update with limited industry impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.388 million total viewers and 1.153 million A25-54 viewers for the week of Sept 21, 2026.
- It was the only evening newscast to not lose viewers, starting the 2026-2027 season as most-watched for the 11th consecutive year.
- NBC Nightly News averaged 6.495 million total viewers and 970,000 A25-54, finishing second.
- CBS Evening News averaged 3.98 million total viewers and 497,000 A25-54.
- Data source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, L+SD, week of 9/21/2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas finished in second place in total viewers and the demo...”
“According to national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen...”
“CBS Evening News closed out the week of Sept. 21 with 3.98 million total viewers...”
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World News Tonight Dominates Evening Ratings Again!
For the week of Feb. 23, 2026, ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir was the No. 1 evening newscast in total viewers and Adults 25-54, averaging 8.642 million total viewers and 1.028 million A25-54, according to Nielsen Live+Same-Day Big Data Plus Panel ratings. NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas finished second (6.788 million total; 989,000 A25-54). CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil averaged 4.17 million total viewers and 504,000 A25-54 and was the only broadcast to record a week-over-week gain in the measured categories. Nielsen data note that certain Tuesday broadcasts (retitled for special coverage) were excluded from weekly and season averages. Year-over-year and week-over-week percentage changes for each broadcast were reported by Nielsen in the article.
ABC Dominates Evening News Ratings Despite Decline
For the week of February 2, 2026, ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir remained the most-watched evening newscast in total viewers and Adults 25-54 but was the only major broadcast to lose viewers week-over-week. Nielsen national Live+Same-Day Big Data Plus Panel ratings show ABC averaged 8.987 million total viewers and 1.15 million A25-54. NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas averaged 7.233 million and 1.10 million demo viewers, posting week-over-week gains (including a demo boost after Llamas’ exclusive interview with President Donald Trump). CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil averaged 4.576 million total viewers and 579,000 in the demo. The report includes week-over-week and year-over-year percentage changes and notes that Friday broadcasts retitled on Feb. 6 were excluded from weekly and season averages.
ABC World News Tonight Tops Week of April 6 Ratings
For the week of April 6, 2026, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir was the most-watched evening newscast in both total viewers and the Adults 25–54 demo, averaging 8.417 million total viewers and 1.067 million A25-54 viewers (Nielsen Big Data + Panel). NBC Nightly News averaged 6.434 million total viewers and 909,000 in A25-54, while CBS Evening News averaged 3.807 million and 477,000 in the demo. ABC’s special live coverage of Artemis II’s return (anchored by Muir on Friday) led all networks, including cable, in total viewers and A25-54. The week saw double-digit demo declines for NBC News and CBS News, and World News Tonight extended its demo lead over NBC Nightly News to more than 150,000 viewers compared with recent weeks.
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