Overview
- Nielsen data show NBC averaged 992,000 viewers aged 25–54 for the week, narrowly topping ABC’s 989,000 for its first fully rated weekly win in that demo in six years.
- ABC’s World News Tonight led overall with just over 8 million weekly viewers and is averaging about 8.08 million so far in 2026, down roughly 9% from a year earlier.
- NBC Nightly News averaged about 6.7 million total viewers for the week, while CBS Evening News drew roughly 4.2 million and 533,000 in the 25–54 demo.
- CBS’s overhauled broadcast under new anchor Tony Dokoupil and editor in chief Bari Weiss trailed in linear ratings but logged triple‑digit gains in article traffic and a surge in YouTube viewing during its debut week.
- Networks reported year‑over‑year declines versus 2025, underscoring broader erosion in linear evening‑news audiences even as digital engagement grows.