Week of Sept. 1 Evening News Ratings: Post-Labor Day Gains for ABC News, NBC News

ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News posted Labor Day weekend gains in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demographic, while CBS Evening News fell in both measured categories during the first week of September.

NBC Nightly News bounced back strongly in the advertiser-coveted demo with a double-digit jump from the previous week. This was its best showing since the week of July 14, and it closed the gap with WNT, as the two newscasts were separated by only 73,000 demo viewers.

Note: The weekly averages of ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News are based on different periods: ABC News’ and NBC News’ averages are based on three days (Tuesday through Thursday, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, respectively), while CBS News’ averages are based on four days (Tuesday through Friday). Thursday’s (Sept. 4, 2025) NBC Nightly News was retitled to NBC Nitely News, and Friday’s (Sept. 5, 2025) ABC World News Tonight broadcast was retitled to WNT-ABC, due to the National Football League. All three broadcasts were coded as specials due to the Labor Day holiday Friday (Sept. 1, 2025). These broadcasts were excluded from the weekly and season averages.

According to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, ABC World News Tonight With David Muir averaged 7.188 million total viewers and 893,000 Adults 25-54 demo viewers for the week of Sept. 1. These were gains of 2% in total viewers and in the demo compared to the previous week. Looking at its performance in the same week in 2024 (the week beginning Sept. 2), WNT was up 3% in total viewers but down 2% in the demo.

In second place in total viewers and the demo was NBC Nightly News With Tom Llamas, averaging 5.631 million and 820,000 viewers, respectively. The broadcast was up 6% in total viewers and 20% in the Adults 25-54 demo. When comparing its performance to the same week a year ago, Nightly News fell by 2% in total viewers and 3% in the demo.

CBS Evening News had 3.708 million total viewers and 515,000 viewers in the demo for the week of Sept. 1. The broadcast was down 5% in total viewers and fell by double-digits, 14%, in the demo compared to the previous week. Its year-ago week numbers saw the newscast decline by 14% in total viewers and the demo. It was the only evening newscast to register double-digit declines in either of the two comparisons.

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD Current Week (w/o 9/1/25), Previous Week (w/o 8/25/25) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 9/2/24). Most Current Data Stream: 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 9/7/25) and 2023-2024 Season (9/25/23 – 9/8/24). Nielsen ratings for ABC, NBC and CBS include additional airings in select markets. Beginning 8/31/20, national ratings also include Out of Home (OOH) viewing. Averages based on regular telecasts.