Week of March 17 Evening News Ratings: World News Tonight Wins a Quiet Week
With viewers now likely accustomed to the extra period of sunlight courtesy of the switch to daylight savings time, ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir saw viewership increases in both total viewers and Adults 25-54 demo for the week of March 17.
The other two broadcasts remained flat in total viewership, with NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt being the only one of the three to experience a viewership dip in the advertiser-prized demo.
Note: The weekly averages of CBS Evening News are based on three days (Monday – Wednesday), while ABC News' averages are based on four days (Monday – Thursday). CBS Evening News' Thursday (03/20/25) and Friday (03/21/25) broadcasts were retitled to CBS Evening Nws due to the network's March Madness coverage. ABC News' Friday broadcast was retitled to WNT-ABC. These broadcasts are excluded from the weekly and season averages.
WNT averaged 7.565 million total viewers and 1.035 million A25-54 viewers for gains of +1% in both measured categories compared to the previous week. Looking at its performance to the same week in 2024 (the week beginning March 18), WNT was flat in total viewers and up +3% in the demo.
NBC Nightly News was the No. 2 broadcast in total viewers and the demo, averaging 6.103 million total viewers and 860,000 demo viewers. Week-to-week Nightly News was flat in total viewers and down -4% in the demo. Year to year, the newscast dipped -1% in total viewers but enjoyed a +7% rise in the demo-the most substantial uptick of the three newscasts.
CBS Evening News saw 4.056 million total viewers and 609,000 viewers for a flat result in total viewers and a +2% rise in the demo. Compared to the same week in 2024, the newscast was down a respective -13% and -14% in those measured categories.
ABC
NBC
CBS
• Total Viewers:
7,565,000
6,103,000
4,056,000
• A25-54:
1,035,000
860,000
609,000
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD Current Week (w/o 3/17/25), Previous Week (w/o 3/10/25) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 3/18/24). Most Current Data Stream: 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 3/23/25) and 2023-2024 Season (9/25/23 – 3/24/24). 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.
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