ABC’s World News Tonight remained the top-rated broadcast evening newscast for the week of March 16, 2026, continuing its long-standing lead over competitors, while NBC’s Nightly News held second place and CBS’s Evening News trailed in third with a significantly smaller audience.
During the week, ABC drew roughly 8.5 to 9 million total viewers, maintaining a comfortable margin of more than 2 million viewers over NBC, which averaged about 6.5 to 6.8 million. CBS lagged behind with approximately 3.8 to 4.2 million viewers, marking one of the wider gaps among the three networks in recent months.
In the key Adults 25–54 demographic, ABC also led with around 1.0 to 1.1 million viewers, followed closely by NBC at just under 1 million. CBS delivered roughly half that audience, typically landing between 450,000 and 550,000 viewers in the demo.
The rankings reflect a continuation of stable viewing patterns seen in prior weeks, with ABC maintaining a dominant position it has held for more than a decade. NBC has remained a consistent second-place contender, showing modest stability, while CBS continues to face ratings challenges, with recent performances dipping near or below the 4 million viewer mark.
Overall, the week reinforced the established hierarchy in broadcast evening news: ABC firmly in first, NBC in second, and CBS a distant third.
“CBS Evening News” is projected to post its smallest January–March audience this century, averaging 4.3 million viewers—down 7% from a year ago—with viewership among adults 25–54 falling 18% to 541,000, according to data cited by the Status newsletter.
“CBS Mornings” is also struggling, averaging 1.8 million viewers, a 13% year-over-year decline. Its audience in the key 25–54 demographic has dropped 28% to 268,000, putting the program on track for its worst quarter on record.
The ratings slide comes amid reported layoffs, declining morale, and newsroom turmoil under Weiss’s leadership.