‘CBS Evening News’ Ratings Show Big Swing in Battle With NBC & ABC

Martin Holmes
6 Comments
David Muir, Tony Dokoupil, Tom Llamas
ABC News YouTube; CBS News YouTube; NBC News YouTube

What To Know

  • All three major evening news broadcasts—ABC, NBC, and CBS—saw gains in the key demographic for the week of June 1.
  • CBS Evening News notably increased 14 percent in the 25-54 demo despite recent internal network turmoil.
  • ABC World News Tonight remained the top-rated program, while NBC Nightly News held second place.

The latest evening news ratings are in, and it’s good news across the board for ABC, NBC, and CBS, with all three seeing gains in the key demographic—even the troubled CBS Evening News.

According to AdWeek, citing national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil finished the week of June 1 with 3.814 million total viewers and 560,000 viewers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic.

Despite recent turmoil at CBS, including the upheaval at 60 Minutes and the axing of Stephen Colbert‘s The Late Show, the Evening News broadcast actually rose by 1 percent in total viewers and by 14 percent in the demo compared to the week prior. The show was also up 8 percent in the demo compared to the same period in 2025, though it was down 2 percent among total viewers.

While CBS Evening News had a strong week, it wasn’t enough to topple ABC World News Tonight with David Muir from the top spot. For the week of June 1, the show averaged 7.66 million total viewers and 974,000 demo viewers. This was down 2 percent in total viewers but up 1 percent in the demo compared to the previous week.

Year over year, World News Tonight was up 9 percent in total viewers and up 7 percent in the key demo.

CBS News Employees Who Resigned or Lost Jobs: Read Their Statements
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NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas held onto the No. 2 spot, averaging 6.304 million total viewers and 892,000 demo viewers. The show was up 6 percent in total viewers and up 12 percent in the demo compared to the week before, closing the gap to just 82,000 demo viewers behind World News Tonight.

Compared to the same period a year ago, Nightly News saw an increase of 16 percent in total viewers and 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

ABC World News Tonight With David MuirCBS Evening NewsNBC Nightly News with Tom LlamasDavid MuirTom LlamasTony Dokoupil



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  1. B

    Bayhooked

    CBS lost me as a viewer. For over twenty years, I've enjoyed watching the CBS EVENING NEWS at home, but it was very evident that the show was loosing its best journalist and the topics were becoming more of entertainment than informative factual of current events. ABC WON ME and my household over with serious coverage of the news and best of all, David Muir is definitely by all means, an outstanding journalist with his team of reporters are to be commended

  2. K

    KC

    If you like to watch exploding cars and houses CBS Evening News is the news for you. Tabloid TV.

  3. S

    Skysoxwiz

    I (80 now) was raised on CBS Evening News....at 5 EVERY evening it was Walter Cronkite....since moving to Colorado Springs in '68 I've set down with the CBS News exactly at 5 o'clock. Not ABC at 5:30 or FOX at some other time......the CBS Evening News has always synced with our dinner hour...call us ultra-rigid and conservative. It seems that CBS downward spiral picked up speed when Norah O'Donnell was 'retired'. Since then it has been a bloodbath of bad ideas and poor leadership. And 60 Minutes has burned out. It must be torture for youngsters to have to watch it.

  4. K

    Kopperkartwinter

    NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC and CNN aren't news networks, they are left-wing, biased, and corrupt that masquerade as legitimate news shows but lack integrity and objectivity that is the hallmark of true journalism. And why? Because they are money-grubbing horrors".

  5. D

    David Gomez

    I think CBs will beat both nbc&abc wend viewers see d great qualities of Tony and small segments ,& see the pure & sincere,that he has go Tony get them u have it they don't

  6. S

    sylgml

    David is the best,but I truly think Tony at CBS will eventually be the winner. He has the same quality that David Muir has/kind of the Cronkite/Peter Jennings/Tom Brokaw/Max Robinson/Ed Bradley vibe. CBS should hang in with Tony, he's the next Muir.