CBS, NBC & ABC Evening News Ratings Show Huge Swing: How’s Tony Dokoupil Doing?
What To Know
- The numbers are in for Tony Dokoupil since he took over as anchor of CBS Evening News.
- Find out how he is doing compared with his predecessors and rivals at ABC and NBC.
The latest ratings are in for the evening news broadcasts, including the numbers for Tony Dokoupil‘s highly anticipated debut week as anchor of CBS Evening News. So, how did the new evening anchor do?
According to Deadline, citing data from Nielsen, Dokoupil’s debut week (week of January 5) on CBS Evening News averaged 4.17 million viewers, down 23 percent from the same period in 2025. The show also dropped in the key Adults 25-54 demo, falling from 690,000 viewers last year to 533,000 viewers.
The same period last year saw Norah O’Donnell covering President Trump‘s inauguration and the devastating California wildfires. It marked O’Donnell’s penultimate week as CBS Evening News anchor before John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois replaced her.
Despite being down on last year, CBS News has reported that Dokoupil’s debut was up versus the fourth quarter of 2025. The fourth quarter, which saw Dickerson and DuBois deliver their final broadcasts, averaged 4.03 million viewers and 502,000 demo viewers.
Dokoupil’s debut drew a lot of attention, as it came amid CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss‘ sweeping changes at the network. However, some have criticized CBS News and Dokoupil for attempting to appease the Trump administration under its new leadership.
One of those critics was House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who told The Jim Acosta Show on Tuesday (January 13) that he was confused when he first saw a clip of Dokoupil’s both sides stance reporting on the anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack.
“When I first saw the clip, I was confused,” Jeffries said, per TheWrap, before making a quip about Trump supporter and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. “I said, ‘Wait, is this LindellTV? Is this Newsmax? Fox News? What’s going on?’ It turned out to be CBS. It was extraordinary.”
CBS Evening News wasn’t the only show to see year-over-year declines.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir claimed the top spot with 8.08 million viewers last week, though it was down nine percent on the same period from last year. The show was also down in the key demo, averaging 989,000, compared to 1.34 million in 2025.
It was a similar story for NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas, which averaged 6.73 million viewers last week, down nine percent from the 7.38 million viewers in the same week in 2025. While Nightly News won the week with 992,000 demo viewers, the numbers were down from the 1.16 million viewers from a year ago.
Conversation66 Comments
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J
Isn't it obvious the reason viewership is down is that people are literally sick of hearing what Trump is doing to our country.
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G
It's obvious that viewership is down because they have been peddling lies..just like the Biden/Harris administration.
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A
Let's talk about the documented 30,000+ lies by your beloved cheeto. But I guess that's just fine, right?
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S
And since you want to point that out how about the 33,000 emails and computers destroyed by Clinton. You’re leaning so far left you’re falling over.
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G
It's down because the mainstream news is incapable of remaining neutral. We have to consume a wide variety of online sources to eek out the truth and obtain deeper takes with more nuance. Journalism has lost its edge and sticks to "establishment/mid-left/woke" narratives.
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A
I hope you're including Fox News in that analysis, but with the extremely far right/fascism narratives.
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P
Trump could be building death camps and you people would complain about the coverage being too one-sided.
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F
He is already building death camps, sending innocent refugees, and working immigrants and US citizens to concentration camps outside of our country!
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M
Not having an extreme far right bias is not the same as not being neutral.
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D
Legacy News is MOSTLY MAGA PROPAGANDA.
THEY LIGHTLY APPROACH ANY CRITICISM OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
Our COUNTRY INVADED ANOTHER COUNTRY, A WOMAN MURDERED IN FRONT OF HER HOUSE, AND STREETS FILLED WITH PROTESTORS FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS!
THE NEWS IS ABSOLUTELY CHECKED OUT ✔️ USELESS
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T
It's hard to trust CBS news when they were willing to get rid of colbert because Trump said so.
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D
It's so hard to watch the news anymore. It's downright depressing, scary and just surreal most days.
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G
And full of liberal propaganda.
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B
I wonder where David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite would fall in today’s environment. I was a lot younger and didn’t understand how politics and other sources framed how the News would be broadcast.
What do you all think about my question?
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N
I use to trust the news to tell the truth and always watched ABC News with David Muir, but since trump threatened to sue all of the stations, it has changed and I don’t feel we are getting the COMPLETE news anymore!
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K
I agree with you
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G
Yeah, you're no longer getting your edited propaganda. That must be hard for you.
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A
Don't worry. You still get your full fledged propaganda on fox news.
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D
Completely agree 👍
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J
It is really Hard to watch News because of trumps antics.
Everything. I want to say "You're Fired". Please some thing has got to be done before he causes WWlll
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E
I say let folks do the job they were hired to do, leave the politics and bullying out , don't be persuaded from doing the right things , we have laws , follow them , stop being persuaded by money and power , American people deserves better
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A
Yep, and WE HAD BETTER UNTIL 2024!!! HINT...HINT
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I
I agree he sucks. Let his garbage work speak for itself!
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G
Only watch David Muir except Saturdays then I watch NBC with Jose if he’s on
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D
He's a POSER, he always repeats the lead into stories over and over.
Actual news content in 30 minutes show is about 8 minutes. JUST LIKE WHEN HE HAD A RAINCOAT PINNED IN THE BACK TO MAKE HIMSELF APPEAR MANLY! BULLSH* T ARTIST
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A
I certainly can't believe anything on the news. If it's not Trump approved it can't be shown.
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D
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!
ITS GETTING SCARY
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W
The network news is becoming less relevant. To stay watchable it needs August anchors like Lester and Brian. Not some reporters who turn into anchors.
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G
August?
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D
Lester was stiff. In a good way looking back. Brian was an outed liar and got caught. He’s cooked and done in cable world.
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G
Watch BBCNEWS and occasionally Bret Baier on FOX when he interviews foreign leaders or has bipartisan panels to discuss current issues.
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R
I used to watch CBS with John D and Maurice D..Stupid move taking them off! So NOW don't watch any nightly news..occasionally NBC..
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D
Enjoying Tony’s evening news, he’ showing a lighter side too!
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B
I don’t like CBS news editors labeling the Minnesota shooting as “murder “ . That’s not their job ; should be determined by District Attorneys, law enforcement, etc .
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G
But it was murder
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G
Thank you... you just proved Bob's point...perhaps you can become an anchor activist.
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G
Which they are not investigating
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R
If you think they're going to investigate, like "regular" law enforcement ,you're wrong and you're not watching the news at all. Unless you're watching Fox. The Trump administration Is pulling all the strings and came to a conclusion only minutes after this happened. Have you ever heard of the Trump administration saying they have done something incorrectly or have been wrong or change their point of view about anything?? They're not capable of it, Just like the minions that follow blindly.
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D
Excellent commentary 👌
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F
Fascist Propaganda, from state-run corrupt regime! God help our country! I can't forgive any miserable ignorant person that voted for him and still supports him. They have had 10 years to get educated on what a con man he is and Stephen Miller is Little Hitler running our country into the ground! SHAME on these fake hypocrite Christians!
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D
Tony Dokoupil is the best on tv!!!!!
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K
I think Walter Cronkite would weep if could see the bias in CBS "news" reporting!
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J
Yes,, I am sure Trump approves all the verbal abuse he gets on the air from the leftist scum. What a stupid comment from you!
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F
Admittedly tuned in because of all the noise, but was surprised to see how good it felt to just watch news, without being lectured to. The best was the end: "Another day in America." Sort of a throwback, a reminder that there is a country here that isn't all illegal aliens and transgenders.
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C
After Nora left, I was so disappointed because I really love seeing her five days a week and then they put these two idiots on and it looked like a football narrative like Monday night football tag team or something. It was just so horrible. They look like Muppets was somebody behind the desk moving their mouth so I stopped watching .
I love David Muir, how professional he is caring. He shows empathy when he tells a story. He is still number one in my book, but Tony is doing such a great job now and I am now going to watch the CBS news. Again, thank you for getting rid of the Muppets.
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F
Bret Baer will now replace CBS evening news.
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L
I find it interesting to see the content of comments whose authors refrain from including a username.
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J
I believe that the broadcast on CBS ABC NBC should be an hour get rid of these reality shows the horrible at the same time don’t show news as an under bar and then not talk about them. I have a problem with that with CBS you see I’ve been watching CBS since I was a kid with Walter Cronkite and I’m not happy. I’m not happy with the news unless you make it an hour like PBS or Brett bear
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J
CBS,ABC,NBC ARE WASHED UP. THERE RATINGS WILL CONTINUE TO DIVE...IT"S LIKE WATCHING RE-RUNS OF GREEN ACERS. THE SAME OLD STORY THAT WAS WTONG IN THE FIRST PLACE. SELL YOUR STOCK. THESE NETWORKS ARE DONE. !!!!!
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M
66 yo NC woman here. CBS and ABC are dead to me. NBC tolerated but watched. Brian Tyler Cohen, MTN, Heather Cox Richardson, Marc Elias Democracy Docket, Glenn Kirshner, MS Now, AP, Reuters, and NPR give you truth, not trump stew.
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” ~ George Orwell, 1984.
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A
I don't think CBS will ever move out of third place in news ratings...
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K
I like stony. He needs to be given a chance. As for O’Donnell she reminded me of teeety bird in those ugly yellow outfits. She was one sided. Didn’t like her at all. They did the right thing getting rid of her. I really liked John and Maurice. But they were very intelligent people who were needed in better places than the evening news
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S
I haven’t watched a Legacy Media so-called “News”show in 30+ years. All three shows could close down and America would be better for it.
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G
Losey, he is definitely not a Walter Cronkite, they should have stayed with John Dickerson.
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D
Legacy Media, CBS, ABC, NBC, are owned by billionaires...they set the NIGHTLY NEWS AGENDA.
Cover for TRUMP with LIES and omission of truth!
AMERICA HAS HAD ENOUGH OF YHE LIES!
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S
My guess is folks are tired of lies and spin so don't watch CBS or Fox. I find ABC to also spin a bit too much. BBC NEWS and NBC are the go to here.
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M
I quit watching CBS news when they started bowing down and kissing Trumps arse. They have dug their own grave. Never watch Fox which leaves CBS and I have been seeing a touch more pro Trump. I watch PBS
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D
CBS GOT BOUGHT BY A MAGA BILLIONAIRE
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G
After that shamelessly obsequeous tribute to Little Marco, who has become one of Trump's most ardent sycophantic warmongers, I won't listen to another word.
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T
I only read independent news now since main stream media refuses tell the whole story and bury stories that are important and should be discussed. They are all so afraid of making the current occupant of the People’s House angry.
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D
Absolutely 💯
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H
Cracks me up these "guests" have no name, but don't mention the numerous lies Fox throws out, not to mention their announcers are now in positions in the trump admin that are totally screwing up our country.
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D
They are we all EVIL 😈
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R
cbsmax.
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G
Disgusted watching news, no one on any channel to simply fact check any thing that Trump says, He seems to be a pathological liar and a meglomaniac
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M
We watch CBS followed by must watch ABC. ABC seems to get more details on top stories. Questions we were asking after CBS.
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