TV Ratings: ABC's WNT Wins All Key Demos During 2Q

Second Quarter

ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir” won the 2nd quarter of 2026, standing as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.200 million), Adults 25-54 (1.010 million) and Adults 18-49 (753,000), based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” took the top spot in all key target demos for the 7th straight year during the 2nd quarter. Overall, “World News Tonight” has won the last 37 quarters in Total Viewers and the last 26 quarters in Adults 25-54 — since 2Q17 and 1Q20, respectively.
• “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.347 million, 923,000 and 655,000, respectively) during 2Q26 in Total Viewers (+29%/+1.853 million), Adults 25-54 (+9%/+87,000) and Adults 18-49 (+15%/+98,000).
• “World News Tonight” increased its lead over the NBC program versus the previous quarter (1Q26) in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+6% -1.853 million vs. 1.745 million), Adults 25-54 (+74% – 87,000 vs. 50,000) and Adults 18-49 (+46% – 98,000 vs. 67,000), delivering its largest Total Viewer quarter lead over “NBC Nightly News” in 31 years — since 2Q95.
• “World News Tonight” turned in increases versus the year-ago quarter (2Q25) in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+8%/+573,000 -8.200 million vs. 7.627 million), Adults 25-54 (+2%/+16,000 – 1.010 million vs. 994,000) and Adults 18-49 (+6%/+43,000 – 753,000 vs. 710,000), drawing its largest overall 2nd-Quarter audience in 6 years — since 2Q20.
• “World News Tonight” (8.200 million, 1.010 million and 753,000, respectively) outperformed “CBS Evening News” (3.900 million, 535,000 and 364,000) in Total Viewers (+4.300 million), Adults 25-54 (+475,000) and Adults 18-49 (+389,000), posting its largest Total Viewer lead over the CBS program during a 2nd quarter in at least 34 years — since September 1991; the Nielsen electronic database started in September 1991.

Week of June 22, 2026

Week of June 22

For the 11th week in a row, “World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (7.858 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of June 22, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.858 million), Adults 25-54 (955,000) and Adults 18-49 (694,000).
• “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.341 million, 890,000 and 655,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+24%/+1.517 million), Adults 25-54 (+7%/+65,000) and Adults 18-49 (+6%/+39,000).
• “World News Tonight” was up over the previous week in Adults 25-54 (+3%/+25,000 – 955,000 vs. 930,000).
• “World News Tonight” improved year to year in Total Viewers (+1%/+109,000 – 7.858 million vs. 7.749 million) for the last 23 weeks.
• “World News Tonight” (7.858 million, 955,000 and 694,000, respectively) beat “CBS Evening News” (4.015 million, 576,000 and 380,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+96%/+3.843 million), Adults 25-54 (+66%/+379,000) and Adults 18-49 (+83%/+314,000).
• NBC touted June as its fifth straight month of year-over-year audience growth across total viewers and key advertising demographics. The network also said “Nightly News” posted its largest June audience in six years and recorded multiple daily demo victories over ABC during the month.
• “CBS Evening News” remained a distant third, averaging 3.91 million total viewers — with 564,000 viewers who were 25 to 54 and 373,000 adults in the 18-to-49 demographic during June.