ABC News’ World News Tonight with David Muir remained the most-watched evening newscast for the week of March 25, 2024. It was also the most-watched newscast in the key demo of Adults 25-54. This achievement has now stretched to the last 278 of 279 weeks in total viewers and 206 of the last 209 in Adults 25-54.
All evening newscasts posted week-to-week growth for the week of March 25, with NBC News’ NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt being the only broadcast to show double-digit growth in Adults 25-54.
Note: CBS Evening News Thursday (03/28) and Friday (03/29) telecasts were retitled to CBS Evening NWS due to coverage of the NCAA Basketball Championship. On Friday, World News Tonight was retitled to WNT-ABC, and NBC Nightly News was retitled to NBC Nitely News due to Good Friday. The retitled telecasts are excluded from the weekly and season averages. ABC’s and NBC’s weekly averages are based on four days (Monday-Thursday), while CBS’ averages are based on three days (Monday-Wednesday).
ABC World News Tonight averaged 7.822 million total viewers for the week of March 25, a +4% gain from the previous week. The evening newscast averaged 1.059 million viewers from the key A25-54 demo, a gain of +6% from the week before. Looking at the evening news show’s performance to the same week in 2023 (the week beginning March 27), WNT was down in total viewers by -3% and fell by -15% in the A25-54 demo.
Meanwhile, Nightly News was the No. 2 newscast in total viewers and the demo this past week, averaging 6.621 million viewers and 923,000 viewers in A25-54. It rose by +7% in total viewers and a strong +14% in the A25-54 demo compared to the previous week. When looking at its performance in the same week a year ago, Nightly News saw a decline in both total viewers and A25-54, dropping by -2 % and -12%, respectively.
Finally, the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell averaged 4.906 million total viewers for the week of March 25. It rose by +5% from the previous week and dropped by -2% from the year-ago week. The newscast averaged 715,000 viewers in the demo, up +1% from the previous week and seeing a drop of -5% when looking at the year-ago week numbers.
Nielsen live-plus-same-day averages for the week of March 18, 2024:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 7,822,000 | 6,621,000 | 4,906,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,059,000 | 923,000 | 715,000 |
Taking a look at the quarterly ratings, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir was the highest-rated newscast during the first quarter of 2024, averaging 8.120 million total viewers and 1.133 million A25-54 viewers. WNT is celebrating its fourth year in a row of winning the Q1 in total viewers. Season to date, World News Tonight ranked as No. 1 in total viewers for the 8th year in a row and No. 1 in both demos for 5th year straight. It was also the only newscast to top 1 million viewers in the demo in the just concluded quarter.
World News Tonight gained +3% in total viewers as well as in the A25-54 demo compared to the previous quarter, Q4 2023. However, the ratings trend for World News Tonight, when compared to the year-ago quarter (Q1 of 2023), saw the newscast shed -6% in total viewers and drop -19% in A25-54 viewers.
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt averaged 6.811 million total viewers and 993,000 A25-54 viewers during the first quarter of 2024. The newscast was flat in total viewers but was the only newscast to register a quarter-to-quarter decline in any of the measured categories, falling -6% in A25-54 when compared to the prior quarter. NBC Nightly News slumped relative to the year-ago quarter, losing -7% in total viewers and -19% in the A25-54 demo.
Lastly, CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell averaged 4.969 million total viewers and 722,000 A25-54 viewers in Q1 2024. That’s a +3% bump in total viewers and a +6% bump among Adults 25-54 vs. the prior quarter. Like its fellow newscasts, CBS Evening News is heading in the wrong direction when compared to the first quarter of 2023, as it was down by -7% in total viewers and -13% in A25-54 viewers.
Nielsen live-plus-same-day averages for Q1 2024:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 8,120,000 | 6,811,000 | 4,969,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,133,000 | 993,000 | 722,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD Current Week (w/o 3/25/24), Previous Week (w/o 3/18/24) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 3/20/23). Most Current Data Stream: 2023-2024 Season (9/25/23 – 3/31/24) and 2022-2023 Season (9/19/22 – 3/26/23). Most Current Data Stream – 1Q24: 1/1/24 – 3/31/24, 1Q23: 12/26/22 – 3/26/23 and 4Q23: 9/25/23 – 12/31/23. Nielsen ratings for ABC, NBC and CBS include additional airings in select markets. Beginning 8/31/20, national ratings also include Out of Home (OOH) viewing. Averages based on regular telecasts.