The primary week of the 2025-2026 broadcast season delivered excellent news for ABC Information and NBC Information, as they skilled beneficial properties in complete viewers for the week of September 22.
ABC World Information Tonight and NBC Nightly Information must also be happy with their respective efficiency within the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo, as in addition they noticed week-to-week enhancements inside this measured class.
Nevertheless, for the second week in a row, WNT’s demo lead over Nightly Information was courtesy of a further 48,000 viewers. This demo viewer distinction remained regular regardless of Jimmy Kimmel resuming his late-night internet hosting duties on ABC after a short suspension.
This was additionally the primary week that the networks started using Nielsen’s large information and panel nationwide TV as measurement foreign money. It combines the agency’s panel measurement with information from cable, satellite tv for pc set-top bins, and sensible TVs throughout 45 million households and 75 million gadgets.
Notice: The weekly common of ABC Information relies on 4 days (Tuesday by way of Friday). Monday’s (09/22/25) broadcast was retitled to WNT-ABC as a result of NFL. This broadcast was excluded from the weekly and season averages.
In response to nationwide reside + similar day large information plus program rankings from Nielsen, ABC World Information Tonight with David Muir averaged 7.181 million complete viewers and 856,000 Adults 25-54 demo viewers for the week of Sept. 22. It produced beneficial properties of +3% in complete viewers and +2% within the demo in comparison with the earlier week. Taking a look at its efficiency to the identical week in 2024 (the week starting Sept. 23), WNT was down by -4% in complete viewers and -18% within the demo.
In second place in complete viewers and the demo was NBC Nightly Information with Tom Llamas, averaging 5.701 million and 808,000 viewers, respectively. The printed was up by +3% in complete viewers and +2% within the A25-54 demo. Moreover, it was the No. 1 broadcast within the demo on Friday (09/26/2025) with 786,000 viewers. When evaluating its efficiency to the identical week a yr in the past, Nightly Information fell by -5% in complete viewers and -13% within the demo.
CBS Night Information had 3.731 million complete viewers and 419,000 viewers within the demo. The printed declined by -1% in complete viewers and -21% within the demo in comparison with the earlier week—the one morning present to expertise regression in each measured classes. Its year-ago week numbers noticed the newscast decline by -20% in complete viewers and -38% within the demo.
ABC NBC CBS • Whole Viewers: 7,181,000 5,701,000 3,731,000 • A25-54: 856,000 808,000 419,000
Supply: Nielsen, NTI Whole Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49 Nationwide Reside + Identical Day Massive Information Plus Panel Program Scores. Present Week (w/o 9/22/25), Earlier Week (w/o 9/15/25), and 12 months-In the past Week (w/o 9/23/24). Starting 12/26/22, averages are primarily based on Massive Information Plus Panel rankings. Nielsen rankings for ABC, NBC, and CBS embrace extra airings in choose markets. Starting 8/31/20, nationwide rankings additionally embrace Out of Residence (OOH) viewing. Averages primarily based on common telecasts.
