WITH LARGEST SEASON LEAD OVER CBS IN 34 YEARS, ABC’S ‘WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH DAVID MUIR’ IS AMERICA’S #1 NEWSCAST IN TOTAL VIEWERS, ADULTS 25-54 AND ADULTS 18-49

“World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.730 million), Adults 25-54 (833,000) and Adults 18-49 (616,000) during the week of Dec. 29, 2025, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” posted Total Viewer increases both week to week (+3%/+193,000 – 7.730 million vs. 7.537 million) and year to year (+7%/+520,000 – 7.730 million vs. 7.210 million).
• “World News Tonight” (7.730 million, 883,000 and 616,000, respectively) beat “CBS Evening News” (4.046 million, 486,000 and 404,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+91%/+3.684 million), Adults 25-54 (+82%/+397,000) and Adults 18-49 (+52%/+212,000).
• Season to date, “World News Tonight” (7.859 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” (6.224 million) by 1.635 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.032 million) by 3.827 million. In addition, “World News Tonight” is 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.
• “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” (970,000 and 692,000, respectively) is leading NBC (848,000 and 580,000, respectively) by 122,000 Adults 25-54 and by 112,000 Adults 18-49. Additionally, “World News Tonight” is widening margins with “CBS Evening News” (501,000 and 371,000, respectively) by double digits in Adults 25-54 (+22% – 469,000 vs. 386,000) and Adults 18-49 (+25% – 321,000 vs. 257,000) versus the comparable weeks last season.

NOTE: “World News Tonight” was preempted on Wednesday (12/31/25), coded as a special on Thursday (1/1/26), and was retitled to “WNT-ABC” on Friday (1/2/26). “CBS Evening News” was coded as specials on Wednesday and Thursday. “NBC Nightly News” was retitled to “NBC Nitely News” on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and was coded as specials on Wednesday and Thursday. The retitled and specialed telecasts are excluded from the weekly and season averages. ABC’s weekly averages are based on two days (Monday-Tuesday), CBS’ weekly averages are based on three days (Monday, Tuesday and Friday). NBC did not have weekly averages since none of its telecasts were regular telecasts.

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 Dec. 29, 2025)

	TOTAL VIEWERS	ADULTS 25-54	ADULTS 18-49
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT	7,730,000	883,000	616,000
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS	*All telecasts either specialed or retitled for the week	*All telecasts either specialed or retitled for the week	*All telecasts either specialed or retitled for the week
CBS EVENING NEWS	4,046,000	486,000	404,000

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 12/29/25), Previous Week (w/o 12/22/25) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 12/30/24). Season to date: Most Current Data Stream: 2025-2026 Season (9/22/25 – 1/5/26) and 2024-2025 Season (9/23/24 – 1/7/25). Beginning 12/26/22, averages are based on Big Data Plus Panel ratings.

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