One week after being the only newscast to score week-to-week gains, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt was the sole program to see week-to-week losses in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during the first full week of May.
Meanwhile, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and CBS Evening News each saw viewership gains in one of the measured categories during a week filled with international news, including the election of Pope Leo XIV and the conflict between India and Pakistan.
According to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir averaged 7.268 million total viewers and 971,000 A25-54 viewers for the week of May 5. It was up by +4% in the former category and flat in the latter compared to the previous week. Looking at its performance to the same week in 2024 (the week beginning May 6), WNT was flat in total viewers and down -1% in the demo.
Notable: WNT was the most-watched telecast each day of the week—Monday, May 5 with 7.461 million total viewers; Tuesday, May 6 with 7.655 million total viewers; Wednesday, May 7 with 7.074 million total viewers, Thursday, May 8 with 7.444 million total viewers, and Friday, May 9 with 6.706 million total viewers.
NBC Nightly News remained the second most-watched newscast, averaging 5.639 million total viewers and 789,000 demo viewers. Week-to-week, Nightly News was down a respective -4% and -9% in both measured categories. Year-to-year, the newscast was down -4% in total viewers and dipped -5% in the demo.
CBS Evening News had 3.637 million total viewers and 502,000 A25-54 viewers for a flat result in the former category and a +4% gain in the latter—the only newscast to see positive demo momentum. Compared to 2024, the newscast was down -16% in total viewers and -20% in the demo.
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
| • Total Viewers: | 7,268,000 | 5,639,000 | 3,637,000 |
| • A25-54: | 971,000 | 789,000 | 502,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD Current Week (w/o 5/5/25), Previous Week (w/o 4/28/25) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 5/6/24). Most Current Data Stream: 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 5/11/25) and 2023-2024 Season (9/25/23 – 5/12/24). 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.
