Observed Signal · May 14, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: Adweek · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Evening News Ratings Decline Week of May 4
Nielsen national live+same-day Big Data + Panel ratings show declines for the three major U.S. broadcast evening newscasts during the week of May 4, 2026. ABC World News Tonight (David Muir) led with 8.183 million total viewers and 976,000 Adults 25–54, followed by NBC Nightly News (Tom Llamas) with 6.125 million and 903,000, and CBS Evening News with 3.702 million and 473,000. All three broadcasts fell versus the previous week (ABC -1% total / -3% demo; NBC -2% / -3%; CBS -4% / -13%), while year-over-year comparisons showed mixed results. The weekly averages exclude three retitled broadcasts on 05/05, 05/06 and 05/08.
Routine weekly Nielsen viewership data for major broadcast evening newscasts; informative for TV advertisers and broadcasters but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.183 million total viewers and 976,000 Adults 25–54 for week of May 4, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel).
- NBC Nightly News averaged 6.125 million total viewers and 903,000 Adults 25–54 for the same week.
- CBS Evening News averaged 3.702 million total viewers and 473,000 Adults 25–54 for the same week.
- Week-over-week changes: ABC down -1% total / -3% A25-54; NBC down -2% total / -3% A25-54; CBS down -4% total / -13% A25-54.
- ABC remained the ratings leader; ABC and NBC were separated by just over 70,000 demo viewers. Weekly averages exclude three retitled broadcasts on 2026-05-05, 2026-05-06 and 2026-05-08.
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Evening News Ratings Fall Week of March 9
For the week of March 9, 2026, ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts all posted week‑to‑week declines in total viewers and Adults 25‑54. ABC World News Tonight with David Muir remained the most‑watched broadcast, averaging 8.478 million total viewers and 1.033 million A25‑54. NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas averaged 6.514 million total viewers and 946,000 A25‑54. CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil fell to 3.845 million total viewers and 468,000 A25‑54, below 4 million for the week and showing the largest year‑over‑year demo decline. Nielsen national Live+Same‑Day Big Data+Panel ratings were cited; the report notes possible influences on viewing patterns including unrest in the Middle East and the recent switch to Daylight Saving Time.
Week of April 20 Evening News Ratings Summary
Nielsen's national Live+Same-Day Big Data+Panel ratings for the week of April 20, 2026 show ABC's World News Tonight leading with gains week-over-week while NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News declined. ABC averaged 8.537 million viewers and led growth (+4% total viewers, +5% Adults 25-54). NBC averaged 6.168 million viewers and fell -4% in total and -12% in the A25-54 demo week-over-week. CBS averaged 3.771 million viewers and 467,000 in A25-54, marking three consecutive weeks below 4 million total viewers and below 500,000 in the A25-54 demo. Data and comparisons are from Nielsen; year-over-year and season-to-date notes use differing network daypart averaging windows as disclosed by the publisher.
Week of May 25 Evening News Ratings Drop
Adweek’s TVNewser reports that the three major evening newscasts trended downward in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo for the week of May 25, 2026, following the Memorial Day holiday. ABC World News Tonight with David Muir led the audience, averaging 7.824 million total viewers and 961,000 A25-54 viewers. NBC Nightly News averaged 5.955 million total viewers and 800,000 A25-54 viewers. CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil posted the largest week-over-week declines, finishing with 3.787 million total viewers and 493,000 A25-54 viewers and suffering a double-digit drop in the demo. Figures are based on Nielsen live+same-day Big Data + Panel measurements; several broadcasts were coded as specials because of Memorial Day scheduling.
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