WITH BIGGEST PREMIERE WEEK IN 6 YEARS, THE #1 PROGRAM ON ALL OF TELEVISION IS ‘ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH DAVID MUIR’ — WITH LARGEST OPENING WEEK LEAD OVER NBC IN 34 YEARS AND CBS IN 35 YEARS, OUTDELIVERING NBC BY NEARLY 2 MILLION AND CBS BY 4.4 MILLION

 

“World News Tonight with David Muir” opened the 2026-2027 season ranked as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (8.388 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) for the week of Sept. 21, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research. “World News Tonight” posted its most-watched premiere week in 6 years — since the 2020-2021 season — and has ranked as the No. 1 program for the last 24 weeks.

• “World News Tonight” stood as the No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.388 million), Adults 25-54 (1.153 million) and Adults 18-49 (687,000) during premiere week for the seventh year in a row — since the 2020-2021 season. Further, “World News Tonight” was the most-watched evening newscast during the opening week of the season for the 11th year in a row — since the 2016-2017 season.
• “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.495 million, 970,000 and 721,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+29%/+1.893 million), Adults 25-54 (+19%/+183,000) and Adults 18-49 (+20%/+146,000).
• “World News Tonight” increased its Total Viewer lead over its year-ago premiere lead by double digits (+28% – 1.893 million vs. 1.480 million) to its largest in 34 years — since the 1992-1993 season. In addition, “World News Tonight” widened its year-to-year premiere margins over the NBC program by triple digits in both Adults 25-54 (+281% – 183,000 vs. 48,000) and Adults 18-49 (+329% – 146,000 vs. 34,000).
• “World News Tonight” saw gains over the previous week in Total Viewers (+3%/+219,000 million – 8.388 million vs. 8.169 million), Adults 25-54 (+2,000 – 1.153 million vs. 1.151 million) and Adults 18-49 (+1%/+11,000 – 867,000 vs. 856,000), hitting 4-week highs in both key Adult demos — since w/o 8/24/26. In addition, “World News Tonight” stood as the only evening newscast to grow week to week across the board.
• “World News Tonight” turned in double-digit gains versus the year-ago premiere week in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+17%/+1.207 million – 8.388 million vs. 7.181 million), Adults 25-54 (+35%/+297,000 – 1.153 million vs. 857,000) and Adults 18-49 (+48%/+280,000 – 866,000 vs. 587,000).
• “World News Tonight” (8.388 million, 1.153 million and 867,000, respectively) more than doubled the season premiere performance of “CBS Evening News” (3.980 million, 497,000 and 389,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+111%/+4.408 million), Adults 25-54 (+132%/+656,000) and Adults 18-49 (+123%/+478,000). In fact, “World News Tonight” delivered its largest Total Viewer premiere lead over the CBS program in at least 35 years — since at least the 1991-1992 season; the Nielsen electronic database started in September 1991.

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 Sept. 21, 2026)

	TOTAL VIEWERS	ADULTS 25-54	ADULTS 18-49
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT	8,388,000	1,153,000	867,000
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS	6,495,000	970,000	721,000
CBS EVENING NEWS	3,980,000	497,000	389,000

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, L+SD, Week of 9/21/2026. Average audience based on regularly titled telecasts only.

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