US evening news broadcast ratings competition

Major US broadcast networks—ABC, NBC, and CBS—have experienced fluctuating viewership patterns in their evening news programs throughout August and September 2026.

During the first two weeks of August, competition for the lead in total viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demographic shifted between ABC and NBC. While NBC briefly secured a narrow victory in the 25-54 demographic during the week of August 3, ABC regained the top position in both total and demographic viewership by the week of August 10.

By the week of August 17, ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ maintained its lead in both categories, averaging 8.462 million total viewers. Although ABC saw year-over-year growth, its lead in the 25-54 demographic narrowed. NBC’s ‘Nightly News’ was noted as the only broadcast to avoid viewership losses compared to the previous week, showing year-over-year increases. CBS’s ‘Evening News’ remained in third place but recorded gains in total viewers compared to the prior week.

For the week of August 31, 2026, ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ continued to lead in total viewers with an average of 8.508 million, despite a week-over-week decline in both total and demographic numbers. However, ABC maintained significant year-over-year growth. NBC’s ‘Nightly News’ secured the win in the Adults 25-54 demographic, surpassing ABC by approximately 1,000 viewers. NBC averaged 6.988 million total viewers, reflecting a 1% weekly dip but a 3% increase in the key demographic and substantial year-over-year growth. CBS’s ‘Evening News’ was the only newscast to report growth in both total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demographic during this period.