ABC, NBC and CBS Evening News Ratings: Latest Audience Comparison (Nov. 11, 2026)

Updated: November 11, 2026, 1:07 a.m. UTC (November 10, 2026, 8:07 p.m. ET).

ABC’s World News Tonight remains the most-watched U.S. network evening newscast, with NBC’s Nightly News in second place and the CBS Evening News third in the latest published comparable monthly Nielsen figures. For September 2026, the programs averaged 8.293 million, 6.595 million and 3.975 million viewers, respectively. ABC’s lead over NBC was about 1.7 million viewers; its audience was more than twice CBS’s.

A newer Nielsen weekly chart for October 26–November 1 lists World News Tonight at 8.454 million viewers, up from its September monthly average. But the chart does not show comparable weekly figures for all three newscasts, so it cannot establish a fresh three-way ranking for that week. Nielsen’s current Top 10 chart and NBC’s publication of Nielsen’s September table help distinguish the latest snapshot from a fair same-period comparison.

Destaques

• ABC led September 2026 in total viewers, averaging 8.293 million per broadcast.
• NBC averaged 6.595 million viewers, while CBS averaged 3.975 million.
• The race was closer among adults 25–54: ABC averaged 1.134 million and NBC 1.022 million.
• Nielsen’s latest public weekly chart shows ABC at 8.454 million for Oct. 26–Nov. 1, but not all three programs.

What are the latest ABC, NBC and CBS evening news ratings?

The most recent fully comparable monthly figures located for this article are Nielsen’s September 2026 averages. NBCUniversal News Group published the three-network table using Nielsen Big Data + Panel, live plus same-day measurement, for regularly titled broadcasts from August 31 through September 27.

The table puts ABC first in both groups. NBC’s total audience was approximately 20% below ABC’s, while its adults 25–54 audience was about 10% lower. CBS placed third in both measures. It averaged roughly 40% fewer total viewers than NBC and about 47% fewer adults 25–54 viewers.

These figures count average viewers, not unique people who watched at any time during the month. Nielsen’s table is for regularly titled telecasts and live plus same-day viewing, so other measurement windows—such as delayed viewing or digital video views—can produce different totals. NBCUniversal’s September ratings release includes the period, method and full network comparison.

Which evening newscast is winning the ratings race?

ABC is the clear leader by total audience in the latest full-season and monthly comparisons available. In the 2025–26 broadcast season, World News Tonight averaged 8.4 million viewers, compared with 6.5 million for NBC and just over 4 million for CBS, according to Nielsen figures reported by TheWrap. The publication reported that ABC won all 51 measured weeks in total viewers that season.

However, “winning” depends on the measure. For advertisers, age-based audience groups can matter as much as the total number watching. In September, NBC was closer to ABC among adults 25–54 than among all viewers, and the absolute gap was 112,000 people. That difference shows why a headline saying one broadcast is ahead does not describe every part of the competition.

How should viewers interpret Nielsen ratings?

Nielsen’s public chart ranks programs using Persons 2+ average audience projections—the estimated average number of viewers age two and older. Its household rating is a separate measure: the percentage of TV homes tuned to a program. A household rating is not the same as the share of people watching, and neither figure means every viewer watched the entire broadcast.

Period and methodology matter when comparing ratings. A weekly result can move with major news events, competition from sports, preemptions, or the number of broadcasts included in an average. The September network table specifies live plus same-day viewing and regularly titled telecasts. Nielsen’s Top 10 page describes its national TV measurement and identifies the week covered in each chart.

What could change the next ratings comparison?

The next published monthly or seasonal table will show whether ABC maintains its broad total-viewer advantage, whether NBC continues to narrow the younger-adult gap, and whether CBS’s year-over-year growth translates into a larger audience relative to its rivals. CBS has reported recent quarterly growth, including a 3.9 million second-quarter average, but that was still below the September figures for ABC and NBC. CBS’s ratings releases describe its own reported gains; those do not change the three-way order in the comparable September table.

That outlook is conditional: a single month or week cannot establish a lasting trend. For the fairest comparison, use the same Nielsen period, audience definition, and viewing window for all three programs. As newer releases appear, compare all three rows together rather than pairing one network’s newest weekly number with another network’s monthly average.

Frequently asked questions

Is ABC or NBC more popular for evening news?

ABC’s World News Tonight had the larger total audience in the latest comparable September figures: 8.293 million viewers versus NBC’s 6.595 million.

How many people watch CBS Evening News?

The CBS program averaged 3.975 million total viewers in September 2026, according to the same Nielsen table.

Do Nielsen ratings include streaming?

The September figures cited here use Nielsen Big Data + Panel live plus same-day measurement. They should not be treated as totals for every digital or streaming view; measurement scope depends on the specific report.