ABC World News Tonight with David Muir remained America’s most-watched newscast in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo; however, it was the only newscast that was down in both categories for the week of April 13.
During a week that saw less escalation in the Middle East than in prior weeks, none of the evening broadcasts recorded any growth in total viewers. Still, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas and CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil finished with gains in the A25-54 demo.
Meanwhile, WNT’s demo lead over Nightly News fell to below 100,000 viewers during the just-concluded week, with 67,000 demo viewers separating the two broadcasts.
Note: The weekly averages of NBC Nightly News are based on four days (Monday-Thursday). Friday’s (04/17/26) broadcast was retitled to NBC Nitely News. This broadcast is excluded from the weekly and season averages.
According to national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.175 million total viewers and 1.01 million Adults 25-54 demo viewers for the week of April 13. The evening newscast declined by -3% among total viewers and -5% among A25-54 viewers compared to the previous week. Looking at its performance during the same week in 2025* (the week beginning April 14), WNT was up +14% in total viewers and +5% in the demo.
NBC Nightly News finished in second place in total viewers and the demo, averaging 6.441 million and 943,000 viewers, respectively. Compared to the previous week, Nightly News was flat in total viewers and up +4% in the demo. It shrank WNT’s lead in the demo to a difference of just 67,000 viewers. When comparing its performance to the same week a year ago, Nightly News was up by +9% in total viewers and +16% in the demo.
Once again, CBS Evening News finished the week of April 13 below the 4 million total viewers mark, and the 500,000 viewers mark in the demo, with 3.804 million and 482,000 viewers, respectively. CBS News’ newscast was flat in total viewers but registered a +1% gain in the demo compared to the previous week. Its year-ago week numbers showed the newscast growing by +2% among total viewers but dropping by -11% in the demo.
*Please note that year-over-year comparisons are based on Nielsen Big Data+Panel (2026) vs. Panel (2025) measurements.
April,13 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
| • Total Viewers: | 8,175,000 | 6,441,000 | 3,804,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,010,000 | 943,000 | 482,000 |
