ABC and NBC split the evening news ratings race for Q4 2019.
World News Tonight with David Muir was the No. 1 evening newscast for the quarter in total viewers, and very nearly won the quarter in the key A25-54 demo.
WNT averaged 8.6 million total viewers in Q4, +724,000 more than its NBC counterpart. The +724,000 total viewer advantage for ABC represents the largest lead over NBC for a Q4 since 1995. World News Tonight has been the most-watched evening newscast for 11 quarters running.
World News Tonight averaged -2,000 adults 25-54 than NBC Nightly News. This also represents the closest margin in the demo during a Q4 since 2014.
But 2nd place is still 2nd place, and ABC finished runner-up to NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt in the key A25-54 demo during Q4 2019. Nightly News has now ranked No. 1 in the evenings among adults 25-54 for 6 consecutive quarters. It will be interesting to see if NBC can maintain its slim lead over ABC in the demo as we head into 2020. It won the 2019 calendar year in the demo.
The first Q4 for the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell was iffy from a ratings perspective. There have been some strong weeks for the newscast, ratings-wise, since O’Donnell took over the anchor role this past summer; and some weak ones.
This Q4, compared to the 4th quarter of 2018, when Jeff Glor was still anchor of the newscast, CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell was -10% in total viewers and -16% among adults 25-54.
To be fair, CBS wasn’t the only evening newscast to post year-over-year audience losses. ABC and NBC struggled relative to last year too.
NBC Nightly News was -6% in total viewers and -10% in the key A25-54 demo from the prior Q4, while ABC World News Tonight was -1% in total viewers and -6% in the key demo.
The 3 evening newscasts averaged a combined 22 million total viewers in Q4, a -5% change from Q4 2018.
That’s still a ton of viewers. The evening news is far from dead.
The averages for Q4, 2019:
| Network | ABC | NBC | CBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 8,612,000 | 7,888,000 | 5,549,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,667,000 | 1,669,000 | 1,043,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 Live + SD Quarters: Live+7/Most Current – 4Q19: 9/23 – 12/29/19, and 4Q18: 9/24 – 12/30/18. Nielsen ratings for ABC, NBC and CBS include additional airings in select markets. Averages based on regular telecasts.
Nightly News, World News Tonight and CBS Evening News’ ratings are comprised of telecasts with regular titling and include overnight airings on owned stations. World News Tonight’s ratings also include 3:30pm airings in Los Angeles and San Francisco.