The primary full week of 2026 noticed the three night broadcasts begin on an upswing for a wide range of causes. NBC Nightly Information with Tom Llamas received the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo battle for the week by the slimmest of margins, a robust begin for the community’s night franchise.
In the meantime, ABC World Information Tonight with David Muir and the primary week of the CBS Night Information with Tony Dokoupil confirmed optimistic motion in each whole viewers and Adults 25-54 in comparison with the transitional week the week earlier than, spanning the tip of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
The earlier week was additionally a vacation week, sometimes a sluggish viewership interval, throughout which NBC Information’ broadcast was not rated.
Regardless of CBS Night Information’ optimistic begin, in comparison with the identical week in 2025, when it was nonetheless helmed by Norah O’Donnell, the printed suffered the steepest decline among the many broadcasts, down by double digits in each measured classes.
In response to nationwide reside+same-day large knowledge plus program rankings from Nielsen, ABC World Information Tonight averaged 8.078 million whole viewers and 989,000 Adults 25-54 demo viewers for the week of January 5. The night newscast grew by +5% in whole viewers and +12% within the A25-54 demo in comparison with the earlier week. Taking a look at its efficiency for a similar week in 2025* (the week starting January 6), WNT was down -9% in whole viewers and -26% within the demo.
NBC Nightly Information ranked second in whole viewers however received the demo, averaging 6.725 million and 992,000 viewers, respectively. It eked out a demo win over WNT, attributable to three,000 extra viewers. When evaluating its efficiency to the identical week a yr in the past, Nightly Information was down -9% in whole viewers and -14% within the demo.
CBS Night Information had 4.166 million whole viewers and 533,000 viewers within the demo for the week of January 5. The Dokoupil-led broadcast in its debut week was up +3% in whole viewers and +10% within the demo in comparison with the earlier week. Its year-ago week numbers confirmed the newscast dropped by -21% in whole viewers and -28% within the demo—the one night present with double-digit declines in each measured classes inside this comparability.
*Please word that year-over-year comparisons are primarily based on Nielsen Massive Information+Panel (2025) vs. Panel (2024) measurements.
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
| • Whole Viewers: | 8,078,000 | 6,725,000 | 4,166,000 |
| • A25-54: | 989,000 | 992,000 | 533,000 |
Supply: Nielsen, NTI Whole Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49 Nationwide Reside + Similar Day Massive Information Plus Panel Program Scores. Present Week (w/o 1/5/26), Earlier Week (w/o 12/29/25), and Yr-In the past Week (w/o 1/6/25). Season thus far: Most Present Information Stream: 2025-2026 Season (9/22/25 – 1/12/26) and 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 1/14/25).
