TV Ratings: NFL Dominates Top 10, Holiday Slow News Week

The long Thanksgiving holiday resulted in all three networks experiencing week-to-week declines in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo. Double-digit drops in both measured categories were recorded during this slow news period, reports TV Newser citing data from Nielsen.

Fox News continued to lead in primetime and total day, capturing 70% of the total day A25-54 share and occupying 98 of the week’s top 100 cable news shows.

Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of Nov. 25 saw FNC average 2.012 million total viewers and 237,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was down in total viewers by -25% and -27% in the A25-54 demo relative to the week prior.

Fox News averaged 1.359 million total viewers and 163,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing for week-to-week declines of -20% and -21%, respectively.

Among all basic cable networks, FNC finished second in total viewers and the demo during primetime, falling behind ESPN in both cases. In total day, the network was No. 1 in total viewers and No. 2 in the demo.

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 465,000 total viewers and 37,000 A25-54 viewers for respective declines of -29% and -38% compared to the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC landed in ninth place in total viewers during primetime and fell from 29th to 43rd in the demo. During total day, the network slipped to the fifth position in total viewers and tumbled from No. 23 to No. 38 in the demo.

During primetime, CNN averaged 297,000 total viewers and 51,000 A25-54 viewers for declines of -28% and -35% in the demo compared to the previous week.

On the basic cable charts, CNN ranked at No. 23 among total viewers during primetime, and at No. 34 in the primetime demo. During total day, CNN it landed at eighth place with total viewers, and dropped to No. 24 in the demo.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS:

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the evening’s No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.677 million), Adults 25-54 (1.012 million) and Adults 18-49 (703,000) during the week of Nov. 25, 2024, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.“World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.223 million, 934,000 and 639,000, respectively) by 1.454 million Total Viewers, by 78,000 Adults 25-54 and by 64,000 Adults 18-49.

• “World News Tonight” increased its Total Viewer lead over “NBC Nightly News” both week to week (+1% – 1.454 million vs. 1.445 million) and year to year (+6% – 1.454 million vs. 1.377 million).
• Season to date, “World News Tonight” (7.519 million) is ranking No. 1 in Total Viewers for the 9th consecutive year, based on Most Current Data. “World News Tonight” is leading “NBC Nightly News” (5.982 million) by 1.537 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.518 million) by 3.001 million. In fact, “World News Tonight” is growing its Total Viewer lead over NBC compared to the same point last season (+41% – 1.537 million vs. 1.090 million) to its largest in 30 years — since the 1994-1995 season.
• “World News Tonight” is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 6th straight season. “World News Tonight” (1.067 million and 731,000, respectively) is leading NBC (890,000 and 588,000, respectively), increasing its margins from the same point last season by triple digits in Adults 25-54 (+200% – 177,000 vs. 59,000) and Adults 18-49 (+204% – 143,000 vs. 47,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (668,000 and 451,000, respectively) by 399,000 Adults 25-54 and by 280,000 Adults 18-49.

• For the week, “World News Tonight” (7.677 million, 1.012 million and 703,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (4.377 million, 558,000 and 389,000, respectively) by 3.300 million Total Viewers, by 454,000 Adults 25-54 and by 314,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Sunday, December 1, 2024. The audience figures are derived from the latest Nielsen daily, weekly, or monthly P2+ program audience averages, whichever is the most recently available within the past seven-day window.