ABC's World News Tonight Surges Ahead in Evening News Ratings Battle
While NBC struggles, ABC World News Tonight shines with notable viewer growth.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir has once again taken center stage in the evening news ratings showdown, marking itself as the front-runner for the week of November 17. According to Nielsen’s live+same-day big data, the program was the only evening newscast to see growth in both total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demographic—a key segment cherished by advertisers.
A Winning Streak Continues
ABC’s success comes from its broad availability across all major distributors, allowing more viewers to tune in. With an average of 7.939 million total viewers and 995,000 in the Adults 25-54 demo, the newscast showed a commendable +5% growth in total viewers and a +4% increase in the key demographic from the previous week.
Challenging Conditions for NBC Nightly News
However, NBC Nightly News is experiencing less favorable results. The program retained its position as the No. 2 evening news broadcast but faced week-to-week declines. With 6.44 million viewers and 864,000 in the targeted demographic, NBC saw a drop of -4% in both categories compared to last week. This underscores the competitive landscape that is the evening news arena.
CBS Steadily Holds On
Meanwhile, CBS Evening News remained consistent, drawing in 4.137 million total viewers and 529,000 demo viewers. Although experiencing a slight -1% decline in total viewers and holding steady in its demographic figures, CBS managed to escape the decrease seen in its competitors when looking at year-over-year comparisons for the same week.
Viewer Trends and Future Projections
The data illuminates exemplary performance from ABC, which not only scored its largest lead over NBC Nightly News in weeks but also reflected positive change when matched against the same period in the prior year. ABC’s numbers were up +2% in terms of total viewers compared to 2024, though it faced a setback in the demo with a -10% dip.
In a volatile TV news market, ABC’s strategy of widespread distribution has proven effective in attracting viewer loyalty. The year-end ratings battle heats up, promising an intriguing finale to the 2025 broadcast season.
As stated in ADWEEK, the strategic choices by evening newscasts play a substantial role in shaping viewer trends, response, and eventually success.
