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Evening News Ratings Experience Post-Holiday Slump
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Audience decline: Evening newscasts see a drop in viewership following the Memorial Day holiday, with ABC, NBC, and CBS all experiencing losses.
By [Invented Reporter] | NEW YORK – 2025/06/03 20:59:13
The week following the Memorial Day holiday proved challenging for evening news programs, as all three major networks faced declines in both total viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demographic.
NBC Nightly News stood out as the only broadcast that didn’t register losses across the board for the week of May 26. Viewers tuned in for Lester Holt‘s final broadcast as anchor, preventing a drop in total viewership.
Holt had reason to celebrate as his last week in the anchor’s chair narrowed the gap between Nightly News and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir to just 53,000 viewers-the smallest difference since January.
evening News Performance overview
Data from Nielsen reveals that ABC World News Tonight averaged 7.042 million total viewers and 884,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic. This represents a decrease of 2% and 9%,respectively,compared to the previous week. When compared to the same week in 2024 (beginning May 27), WNT experienced a 3% decrease in total viewers and a 14% decrease in the key demo.
“His final week in the anchor’s chair brought the demo gap between Nightly News and ABC World News tonight with David Muir to just 53,000 viewers.”
NBC Nightly News secured the second position in both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic, with an average of 5.720 million total viewers and 831,000 demo viewers. The broadcast remained stable in total viewers compared to the previous week but saw a 5% decrease in the demo. Year-over-year, Nightly News was the only newscast to show gains, with a 2% increase in total viewers and a 4% increase in the demo.
CBS Evening News attracted 3.600 million total viewers and 490,000 viewers in the 25-54 age group, marking declines of 8% and 12%, respectively. Compared to the previous year, the newscast experienced a 15% decrease in total viewers and a 24% decrease in the demo.
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
| • Total Viewers: | 7,042,000 | 5,720,000 | 3,600,000 |
| • A25-54: | 884,000 | 831,000 | 490,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are TV ratings critically important?
TV ratings determine advertising rates and influence programming decisions. Higher ratings mean more revenue for networks.
What is the Adults 25-54 demographic?
The Adults 25-54 demographic is a key target for advertisers as it represents a prime consumer group.
Who is Nielsen?
Nielsen is a global company that measures and analyzes audience behavior across various media platforms.
