NBC, ABC & CBS Evening News Ratings Surprise: Whose Viewership Is Up?
What To Know
- CBS Evening News was the only major evening newscast to see week-over-week gains.
- Despite these gains, CBS still trailed behind ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News.
- Both ABC and NBC newscasts were up year-over-year in total viewers and the key demographic, despite recent weekly drops.
The latest ratings are in for the evening news broadcasts, and Tony Dokoupil has reason to smile as CBS Evening News was the only show to see week-over-week gains in total viewers and the key demographic.
According to AdWeek, citing national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, CBS Evening News averaged 3.806 million total viewers and 503,000 viewers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demo for the week of May 11. This was up 3 percent in total viewers and up 6 percent in the demo compared to the week prior.
CBS Evening News, which hit worrying record lows in recent months, was also up 1 percent in total viewers compared to the same period in 2025 and remained flat in the demo.
Despite the increases, CSB Evening News still trailed its competition on ABC and NBC. As usual, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir held the top spot, averaging 7.889 million total viewers and 962,000 demo viewers for the week of May 11. This was down 4 percent in total viewers and down 1 percent in the key demo compared to the previous week.
However, World News Tonight was up year over year, with total viewers up 13 percent and the demo up 8 percent.
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas finished in second place, averaging 5.97 million total viewers and 831,000 demo viewers for the week of May 11. This was down 3 percent in total viewers and down 8 percent in the demo compared to the week before.
Much like World News Tonight, though, Nightly News was up on the same period from 2025, increasing by 9 percent in total viewers and by 7 percent in the key demo.
CBS Evening News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
NBC Nightly News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, NBC
ABC World News Tonight, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, ABC
Conversation31 Comments
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S
I think Dokoupil does a good job, I do wish people would give him a chance. He does have the Bari Weiss stain to deal with and that’s the issue. The reporting is much more in depth than other news. I do watch Muir as well, just to see the difference.
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M
👍
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S
I love Tony on CBS
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F
What has to do with Bari Weiss?
She is his boss. Ur remark about her was unnecessary.
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C
I will never again C their BS. See BS is dead.
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M
Tom Llamas best
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P
CBS needs O'Connor back. The new owner also forces a change in political views, eventually all network will be like Fox News
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E
Wouldn't that be the best thing to happen?
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F
Yes.
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J
You hate watching FOX who brings BOTH sides viewpoints Stick with no one watches cnn msdnc
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D
Tony Dokoupil is wonderful! He's catching the same heat that Norah O'Donnell had to go through. CBS is never happy, all they care about is numbers. I stopped watching CBS in the mornings. They act like a bunch of out of hand teenagers. Why can't we have news (not re-news), weather, and other important issues that no one else has! CBS has gone Hollywood and it's sickening!
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G
Keep it up Tony!!!
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L
Tony is awesome. Ive followed him for years. He's knowledgeable, kind, gives a little lilt at the end. Dont care for the others.
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P
I like ABC but he reads a sentence or 2 and then there's 12 commercials for the latest prescription drug..
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J
They all do the same. I record the news and watch it a half hour later and FF through the commercials and the stupid stories about a cat in a tree. In 20 mins, I'm caught up.
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N
Tony D is on a leash just ask Bari Weiss.
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F
And the rest of them on the leash of uncle George and his friends.
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D
CBS in my opinion does not have in depth reporting. Dokoupil, spends very little time on the news of the day. You get more information from the information flashing on the bottom of your screen during the commercials. CBS is just another brown noser for that horrible person in Washington, and Weiss, just caves to that man. David Muir in my opinion is stellar
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O
I gave all National News over the last 8 years, there’s nothing one can trust anymore and it’s so slanted to the Democratic Party that ratings can’t be very good, no trust with these folks anymore.!!!
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S
I will not watch CBS to to firing of Stephen Colbert.
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K
Love all of them!
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R
I think ratings are down because people are just sick of hearing about Donald Trump and every bad thing that's happening that they can't control
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S
Keep up the work Tony D I enjoy the on-site reporting
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A
Screw MAGA CBS ABC and NBC all the way. Billionaire Weiss
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A
Love Tony, I only watched him & local news!
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J
What about CNN & FOX
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K
They aren't major ones. CBS, NBC and ABC are top 3 news networks for decades.
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M
Times they are a changing.
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M
Different format. Network evening news is a program so it's easy to measure its viewership at that specific time for that specific program. Of the cable news networks FoxNews leads considerably over CNN and MSNOW with around 3 million viewers a day. But to call it News is a bit deceptive. The highest rated programs on FoxNews are hosted shows like Jesse Waters, Greg Gutfield, and the Five. While they may be topical, they are far from news.
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V
Fox News #1
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S
Prime example of a pick me.
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