Evening News viewership Declines Across the Board in Key Demographic
NEW YORK – October 8, 2025 - All three major evening news broadcasts experienced a drop in viewership among the key adults 25-54 demographic during the week of September 29, according to Nielsen‘s national live + same day big data plus programme ratings. Despite this overall trend,ABC‘s World News Tonight and NBC’s nightly News managed to increase their total viewer numbers,while CBS’ Evening News saw declines in both total viewers and the coveted demo.
The shifting landscape of evening news consumption comes as customary broadcasts continue to navigate a fragmented media environment. While total viewership remains a important metric, the adults 25-54 demographic is particularly valuable to advertisers, making fluctuations in this group closely watched by network executives. The latest ratings reveal a competitive battle for audience attention, with ABC maintaining a lead in the demo despite a slight week-over-week dip.
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir averaged 7.334 million total viewers and 844,000 Adults 25-54, a 2% increase in total viewers but a 1% decrease in the demo compared to the previous week. Year-over-year,WNT saw a 4% rise in total viewers but a 10% decline in the 25-54 demographic when compared to the week beginning September 30,2024. it is significant to note that ABC’s weekly average is based on Tuesday’s broadcast, as Monday’s (September 29) and Wednesday through Friday’s (October 1-3) broadcasts were retitled WNT-ABC due to NFL and MLB Playoffs coverage and were excluded from weekly and season averages.
NBC’s Nightly News with Tom Llamas secured the second position with 5.8 million total viewers and 775,000 Adults 25-54. The broadcast experienced a 2% increase in total viewers but a 4% decrease in the demo week-over-week. Compared to the same week in 2024, Nightly News grew by 2% in total viewers but declined by 5% in the demo.
CBS’ Evening News reported 3.593 million total viewers and 399,000 viewers in the Adults 25-54 demo. The broadcast saw a 4% decrease in total viewers and a 5% decrease in the demo compared to the previous week. Year-over-year comparisons revealed a more significant decline,with a 17% drop in total viewers and a 34% decrease in the demo.