Evening News Ratings: Week of May 15

By A.J. Katz 

While the evening newscasts continue deliver more total viewers than their cable news counterparts, they’re seeing see year-over-year audience declines, with news junkies increasingly turning to cable for their fill of what has become daily White House drama.

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir was the most-watched evening newscast for the second consecutive week, despite posting a -5 percent decline from the comparable week in 2016 (week of May 16).  WNT was also -9 percent from the comparable week last year among adults 25-54. Nevertheless, World News Tonight remains No. 1 in total viewers this broadcast season to-date (+16,000) for the first time in 21 years.

NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt maintains a stranglehold on first place among adults 25-54. Nightly has now finished No. 1 in the ad-friendly demo for 49 consecutive weeks, and 94 of the past 95 weeks. The program also extended its lead over WNT in the demo by +17 percent. On the negative side, Nightly News was -5 percent in total viewers and -7 percent in the demo versus the comparable week last year.

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CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley remains in third place in the ratings race. The program was -9 percent in total viewers and -10 percent in the demo versus the same week in 2016.

Numbers for the week of May 15, 2017:

ABC NBC CBS
• Total Viewers: 7,548,000 7,410,000 6,138,000
• A25-54: 1,546,000 1,715,000 1,356,000

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