NBC’s Nightly News has made significant strides in the competitive landscape of evening news, showcasing a remarkable performance during the week of May 12. The program has successfully narrowed its key demo gaps with ABC by double digits when analyzing year-over-year metrics. Notably, Nightly News reduced the gap among viewers aged 25-54 by an impressive 43% and among those aged 18-49 by 12%.
In a week-over-week comparison, Nightly News also displayed consistent improvement, shrinking overall viewership gaps with ABC by 8%, alongside a remarkable 37% decrease in the 25-54 age group and a 34% decrease in the 18-49 demographic. This ongoing momentum helped Nightly News secure the position as the sixth most-watched show of the week, attracting a total audience of 5.465 million viewers—an increase that comfortably surpasses CBS by 1.699 million viewers, or 45%.
Breaking down further into demographics, Nightly News averaged 776,000 viewers in the 25-54 age range, again surpassing CBS by 273,000, or 54%. For the 18-49 demographic, the program attracted 496,000 viewers, outperforming CBS by 128,000, which equates to a 35% advantage.
The ratings for the week highlight the competitive strength of NBC’s Nightly News, not just in total viewers but also in key demographic segments. This positive trend reflects the program’s growing appeal and potential to continually capture a larger share of the audience moving forward. The data positions NBC Nightly News not only as a key player among evening news broadcasts but also as a responsive entity to its audiences’ preferences.
The undoubtedly positive trajectory of Nightly News reflects a broader trend in news consumption, suggesting that viewers are gravitating towards programs that resonate with them and address their interests effectively. This development is hopeful for the future of broadcast news, as it indicates a response to viewer needs and a bright outlook for ratings.