Observed Signal · Mar 25, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: Adweek · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Evening News Ratings Rise Week of March 16, 2026
For the week of March 16, 2026, U.S. broadcast evening newscasts recorded no week-to-week viewership losses: ABC's World News Tonight led with 8.821 million total viewers and 1.102 million Adults 25-54, both up versus the prior week and up year-over-year. NBC Nightly News averaged 6.518 million total viewers and 978,000 in A25-54, essentially flat in total viewers and modestly higher in the demo week-over-week. CBS Evening News averaged 4.166 million total viewers and 533,000 in A25-54 (weekly averages based on three days due to retitled broadcasts later in the week) and posted week-over-week gains. Ratings and comparisons are drawn from Nielsen national Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel program measurements.
Routine weekly broadcast ratings update; useful for TV ad inventory and planning but not industry‑shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.821 million total viewers and 1.102 million Adults 25-54 for the week of March 16, 2026.
- NBC Nightly News averaged 6.518 million total viewers and 978,000 Adults 25-54 for the same week.
- CBS Evening News averaged 4.166 million total viewers and 533,000 Adults 25-54; CBS weekly averages are based on Monday–Wednesday only due to retitled broadcasts on March 19–20 being excluded.
- Week-over-week changes: ABC up +4% (total viewers) and +7% (A25-54); NBC flat in total viewers and +3% in A25-54; CBS up +8% (total viewers) and +14% (A25-54).
- Report source: Nielsen national Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel program ratings; story notes Tom Llamas did not sit behind the NBC desk Monday–Wednesday.
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ABC Leads Evening News Ratings Amid Middle East Unrest
During the week of March 2, 2026, ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir remained the most-watched evening newscast, followed by NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas and CBS Evening News. Nielsen national live+same-day Big Data+Panel ratings show ABC averaged 8.901 million total viewers and 1.104 million Adults 25-54 (A25-54), up +3% and +7% week-to-week respectively. NBC averaged 6.898 million total and 1.054 million A25-54, posting week-to-week gains of +2% and +7%. CBS averaged 4.117 million total viewers and 507,000 A25-54, down -1% in total viewers but up +1% in the demo versus the prior week. The news cycle, driven by unrest in the Middle East, boosted viewership overall; year-over-year comparisons versus the same week in 2025 show ABC and NBC with gains while CBS declined in both total viewers and the demo.
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.
ABC and NBC News Ratings Surge, CBS Declines
ABC's World News Tonight and NBC's Nightly News increased both total viewers and Adults 25-54 demo during the week of January 26, 2026, while CBS Evening News declined. Nielsen national Live+Same-Day Big Data+Panel ratings show ABC averaged 9.244 million total viewers and 1.182 million A25-54 viewers, marking week-over-week and year-over-year gains. NBC averaged 7.150 million total viewers and 1.040 million A25-54 viewers, posting modest weekly and annual changes. CBS averaged 4.538 million total viewers and 623,000 A25-54 viewers and recorded declines versus the prior week and year-ago period. The report cites Nielsen NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54/18-49 national Live+Same-Day Big Data Plus Panel program ratings for the current week (w/o 1/26/26).
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