The week’s news coverage centered on the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, driving significant viewership increases across major cable news networks.
Fox News saw triple-digit gains in the primetime demo, with its special, Charlie Kirk: An American Original, hosted by Jesse Watters and aired Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, drawing 2 million total viewers and 216,000 in the A25-54 demo, making it the day’s top program.
NewsNation outperformed CNN and MSNBC in the demo during several evening hours on Saturday. At 7 p.m. ET, NewsNation Prime had 34,000 demo viewers, surpassing CNN Newsroom’s 29,000. At 8 p.m. ET, NewsNation’s Special Report, hosted by Brian Entin, led with 44,000 demo viewers, ahead of MSNBC’s The Weekend Primetime (32,000) and CNN’s Real Time with Bill Maher (38,000). At 10 p.m. ET, NewsNation edged out CNN Newsroom with 32,000 vs. 22,000 demo viewers, and at 11 p.m. ET, its Special Report had 29,000 demo viewers compared to MSNBC’s 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle’s 18,000.
Network Performance (Week of September 8, Nielsen Panel + Big Data):
Fox News: Averaged 3.061 million primetime viewers (+55% from prior week) and 418,000 in the A25-54 demo (+155%). In total day, it had 1.814 million viewers (+41%) and 235,000 demo viewers (+99%). It ranked No. 1 in total primetime viewers, No. 2 in the primetime demo, No. 1 in total day viewers, and No. 2 in the total day demo among basic cable networks.
Fox News dominated with 14 of the top 15 cable news shows, led by The Five at 5 p.m. ET with 4.431 million viewers. Hannity topped the demo at 10 p.m. ET with 601,000 viewers, with Fox News sweeping all 15 demo slots.
MSNBC: Averaged 867,000 primetime viewers (+30%) and 75,000 demo viewers (+29%). In total day, it had 538,000 viewers (+15%) and 49,000 demo viewers (+32%). It ranked No. 3 in total primetime viewers, No. 11 in the primetime demo (up from No. 20), No. 3 in total day viewers, and tied for No. 9 in the total day demo. The Rachel Maddow Show at 9 p.m. ET on Monday ranked No. 13 with 1.853 million viewers.
CNN: Averaged 615,000 primetime viewers (+36%) and 112,000 demo viewers (+81%). In total day, it had 435,000 viewers (+19%) and 75,000 demo viewers (+39%). It ranked No. 4 in total primetime viewers (up from No. 6), No. 5 in the primetime demo (up from No. 18), No. 4 in total day viewers, and No. 3 in the total day demo.
📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS
2024-2025 Season:
“World News Tonight” stood as the most-watched evening newscast for the 9th consecutive season — since the 2016-17 season — spending 24 of 52 weeks as the No. 1 program of the week in Total Viewers on all of broadcast and cable (with and without sports), the most number of weeks at No. 1 for any program during the 2024-2025 season. “World News Tonight” ranked as America’s No. 1 evening newscast for the 2024-2025 season in all key target demos, Total Viewers (7.594 million), Adults 25-54 (1.054 million) and Adults 18-49 (727,000), for the 6th consecutive year, based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research.
- “World News Tonight” won all 52 weeks of the 2024-2025 season in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.
- During the 2024-2025 season, “World News Tonight” (7.594 million) led “NBC Nightly News” (6.020 million) by 1.574 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.171 million) by 3.423 million. “World News Tonight” grew its Total Viewer lead over NBC compared to last season (+23% – 1.574 million vs. 1.279 million) to its largest in 30 years — since the 1994-1995 season. In addition, “World News Tonight” increased its Total Viewer season margin versus “CBS Evening News” by 12% (3.423 million vs. 3.072 million) to its largest in 5 years — since the 2019-2020 season.
- In addition, “World News Tonight” (1.054 million and 727,000, respectively) led NBC (876,000 and 576,000, respectively) in both key Adult demos, increasing its margins compared to last season in Adults 25-54 (+52% – 178,000 vs. 117,000) and Adults 18-49 (+84% – 151,000 vs. 82,000).
- Further, “World News Tonight” widened its margins with “CBS Evening News” (588,000 and 406,000, respectively) by double digits in Adults 25-54 (+14% – 466,000 vs. 407,000) and Adults 18-49 (+15% – 321,000 vs. 280,000).
“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (6.990 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of Sept. 15, 2025, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.
- “World News Tonight” ranked as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (6.990 million), Adults 25-54 (842,000) and Adults 18-49 (586,000).
- “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (5.541 million, 794,000 and 490,000, respectively) by 1.449 million Total Viewers, by 48,000 Adults 25-54 and by 96,000 Adults 18-49.
- “World News Tonight” (6.990 million, 842,000 and 586,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (3.762 million, 529,000 and 381,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+86%/+3.228 million), Adults 25-54 (+59%/+313,000) and Adults 18-49 (+54%/+205,000).
📺BROADCAST MORNING NEWS
- For the 2024-2025 season, “Good Morning America” (2.664 million) ranked as the No. 1 morning newscast in Total Viewers for the 13th consecutive year — since the 2012-2013 season. “GMA” leads NBC’s “Today” (2.604 million) by 60,000 and “CBS Mornings” (1.940 million) by 724,000.“GMA” ranked No. 1 in Total Viewers in 28 of the last 30 weeks of the season.
- In addition, “GMA” (2.664 million, 470,000 and 300,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Mornings” (1.940 million, 346,000 and 223,000, respectively) by 724,000 Total Viewers, 124,000 Adults 25-54 and by 77,000 Adults 18-49.
Week of Sept. 15, 2025:
“Good Morning America” ranked as the No. 1 morning newscast in Total Viewers (2.590 million) during the week of Sept. 15, 2025, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. “GMA” outperformed NBC’s “Today” (2.516 million) by 74,000.
- For the 3rd week in a row, “GMA” saw gains on the same week last year in Total Viewers (+3% – 2.590 million vs. 2.511 million), Adults 25-54 (+15% – 483,000 vs. 421,000) and Adults 18-49 (+19% – 329,000 vs. 277,000) and stood as the only morning newscast to grow year to year in all key target demos.
- “GMA” slashed its margins versus the year-ago week with “Today” by more than half in Adults 25-54 (-58% – 101,000 vs. 240,000) and Adults 18-49 (-77% – 31,000 vs. 132,000). In fact, “GMA” cut its year-to-year margins with “Today” in both key Adult demos by double digits in the final eight weeks of the season.
- “GMA” (2.590 million, 483,000 and 329,000, respectively) beat “CBS Mornings” (1.812 million, 308,000 and 206,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+778,000), Adults 25-54 (+175,000) and Adults 18-49 (+123,000). “GMA” led “CBS Mornings” in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 for the last 1,392 weeks overall — since w/o 1/18/99.
📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKER
