Observed Signal · Mar 4, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
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.
Weekly national TV ratings influence advertisers, media buyers, and revenue allocation but do not represent a platform-level policy or major industry shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.642 million total viewers and 1.028 million Adults 25-54 for the week of Feb. 23, 2026 (Nielsen).
- NBC Nightly News averaged 6.788 million total viewers and 989,000 Adults 25-54 for the same week (Nielsen).
- CBS Evening News averaged 4.17 million total viewers and 504,000 Adults 25-54 and was the only evening newscast to post a week-to-week gain in the measured categories.
- ABC reclaimed the Adults 25-54 demo title over NBC by an addition of 39,000 demo viewers; some Tuesday broadcasts were excluded from weekly and season averages due to retitling.
- Ratings and comparisons are based on Nielsen National Live+Same-Day Big Data Plus Panel program ratings with week-over-week and year-over-year comparisons noted.
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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.
World News Tonight Tops Week of June 15 Ratings
For the week of June 15, 2026, ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir led evening-news broadcasts in both total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo, averaging 7.887 million total viewers and 930,000 A25-54 viewers. NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas was second (6.37 million / 927,000), and CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil finished third (3.923 million / 564,000). ABC reclaimed the demo lead, edging NBC by roughly 3,000 A25-54 viewers. Week-over-week and year-over-year percentage changes varied: ABC was up +3% in total viewers vs. the prior week (down -3% in the demo), NBC fell -5% total and -12% demo week-over-week but showed year-over-year gains, and CBS was +1% in total viewers and flat in the demo. Data source: Nielsen National Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel ratings.
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.
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