THE #1 PROGRAM ON ALL OF BROADCAST AND CABLE TV WITH 8.8 MILLION VIEWERS IS ‘ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH DAVID MUIR’ — BEATING NBC BY THE LARGEST MARGIN IN 6 YEARS

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (8.821 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of March 16, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” ranked as the No. 1 newscast across broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.821 million), Adults 25-54 (1.102 million) and Adults 18-49 (800,000).
• “World News Tonight” outperformed “NBC Nightly News” by double digits (6.515 million, 978,000 and 674,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+35%/+2.303 million), Adults 25-54 (+13%/+124,000) and Adults 18-49 (+19%/+126,000).
  
• “World News Tonight” widened its lead over “NBC Nightly News” by double digits week to week in Total Viewers (+17% – 2.303 million vs. 1.964 million), Adults 25-54 (+43% – 124,000 vs. 87,000) and Adults 18-49 (+20% – 126,000 vs. 105,000), scoring its largest overall viewer lead in nearly 6 years — since w/o 4/13/20.
• For the 4th consecutive week, “World News Tonight” increased its Total Viewer lead over “NBC Nightly News” year to year (+37% – 2.303 million vs. 1.675 million) by double digits.
• “World News Tonight” improved week to week in Total Viewers (+4%/+343,000 – 8.821 million vs. 8.478 million), Adults 25-54 (+7%/+69,000 – 1.102 million vs. 1.033 million) and Adults 18-49 (+8%/+57,000 – 800,000 vs. 743,000).
• For the 3rd straight week, “World News Tonight” posted increases on the same week last year across the board: Total Viewers (+10%/+837,000 – 8.821 million vs. 7.984 million), Adults 25-54 (+5%/+57,000 – 1.102 million vs. 1.045 million) and Adults 18-49 (+5%/+37,000 – 800,000 vs. 762,000).
• “World News Tonight” (8.821 million, 1.102 million and 800,000, respectively) more than doubled the performance of “CBS Evening News” (4.166 million, 533,000 and 386,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+112%/+4.655 million), Adults 25-54 (+107%/+569,000) and Adults 18-49 (+107%/414,000), beating the CBS program by triple digits for the 6th week running.
• “World News Tonight” widened its advantage over “CBS Evening News” compared to the same week last year in Total Viewers (+20% – 4.655 million vs. 3.886 million), Adults 25-54 (+13% – 569,000 vs. 504,000) and Adults 18-49 (+8% – 414,000 vs. 384,000).
• Season to date, “World News Tonight” (8.376 million) is ranking No. 1 in Total Viewers for the 10th straight year based on Most Current Big Data+Panel Ratings. “World News Tonight” is leading “NBC Nightly News” (6.596 million) by 1.780 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.151 million) by 4.225 million. In fact, “World News Tonight” is growing its Total Viewer lead over NBC compared to the same point last season (+5% – 1.780 million vs. 1.692 million) to its largest in 31 years — since the 1994-1995 season. “World News Tonight” is also delivering its largest Total Viewer season lead over the CBS program in at least 34 years — since at least the 1991-1992 season; the Nielsen electronic database started in September 1991. In addition, “World News Tonight” is delivering its largest season viewership in 3 years, growing in Total Viewers compared to the same point last season (+2%/+144,000 – 8.376 million vs. 8.232 million) — since the 2022-2023 season.
• “World News Tonight” is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 7th season in a row. “World News Tonight” (1.044 million and 757,000, respectively) is leading NBC (943,000 and 654,000, respectively) by 101,000 Adults 25-54 and by 103,000 Adults 18-49. Additionally, “World News Tonight” is widening margins with “CBS Evening News” (522,000 and 392,000, respectively) by double digits in Adults 25-54 (+16% – 522,000 vs. 449,000) and Adults 18-49 (+14% – 365,000 vs. 320,000) versus the comparable weeks last season.

NOTE: On Thursday (3/19/26) and Friday (3/20/26), “CBS Evening News” was retitled to “CBS Evening Nws.” The retitled telecast is excluded from the weekly and season averages. “CBS Evening News”’s weekly averages are based on three days (Monday-Wednesday).

ABC’s “World News Tonight with David Muir” airs 6:30-7:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Chris Dinan is the executive producer of the broadcast.

EVENING NEWS (Week of March 16, 2026)

	TOTAL VIEWERS	ADULTS 25-54	ADULTS 18-49
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT	8,821,000	1,102,000	800,000
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS	6,518,000	978,000	674,000
CBS EVENING NEWS	4,166,000	533,000	386,000

Source: Nielsen, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 National Live + Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings. Current Week (w/o 3/16/26), Previous Week (w/o 3/9/26) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 3/17/25). Season to date: Most Current Data Stream: 2025-2026 Season (9/22/25 – 3/22/26) and 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 3/23/25). Beginning 12/26/22, averages are based on Big Data Plus Panel ratings.  Season averages based on Big Data Plus Panel ratings start with the 2023-2024 season.  Beginning 9/29/25, “World News Tonight” averages include airings on ABCNL. 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.

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