‘ABC World News Tonight’ No. 1 atop rivals NBC and – Business News
ABC’s “World News Tonight” reclaimed its perch because the nation’s most watched nightly newscast throughout all demographics final week, although it reportedly suffered a “massive meltdown” involving anchor David Muir on Tuesday.
His program drew 9 million complete viewers during the week of Jan. 19 — tops in all of broadcast and cable, (*1*)in response to Nielsen rankings.
“World News Tonight” beat rivals “NBC Nightly News” and “CBS Evening News” in the important thing 25-54 age demographic favored by advertisers, figures confirmed.
David Muir anchors ABC’s “World News Tonight,” which reclaimed the highest spot in complete viewers and key demographics during the week of Jan. 19, in response to Nielsen.
While Disney-owned ABC News hailed the achievement as “the most commanding weekly performance in nearly six years,” Muir’s broadcast skilled a main glitch on Tuesday.
As the newscast obtained underway, he alerted viewers to a report from on-site reporter Matt Rivers in Minneapolis.
Instead of enjoying a ready bundle from Rivers, the published confirmed a sequence of flashes adopted by Muir’s reappearance, in response to the Status e-newsletter.
The anchor then seemed to play a separate bundle from correspondent Victor Oquendo, however technical difficulties as soon as again ensued and the section didn’t air, Status reported.
Muir then went to meteorologist Ginger Zee for a climate report.
“Obviously this is what happens with live television from time to time,” a composed Muir instructed viewers.
According to Status, people familar with the scenario described the chaotic scene as a “massive meltdown.”
Tom Llamas anchors NBC’s “Nightly News,” which just lately notched a uncommon weekly victory over ABC in the important thing 25-54 demographic. NBC
A source conversant in the scenario instructed The Post that “everyone gets hit with technical gremlins.”
“David stayed calm and carried on with the show. It’s what you do.”
Muir and his bosses can nonetheless take solace of their rankings win from final week.
NBC’s “Nightly News” completed a distant second to ABC final week, averaging 6.9 million complete viewers for Jan. 19 to 25, in response to Nielsen information.
ABC’s benefit over NBC totaled more than 2.1 million viewers for the week, its widest margin in practically six years.
ABC World News Tonight and David Muir simply had a catastrophe of a begin to the show – as not one, however two packages do not air. Look at his face, he is not happy. 👀 pic.twitter.com/RSSTgxJXR2— Gunz (@TheGunzPresent) January 27, 2026
In the 25-54 demo, ABC averaged 1.09 million viewers, topping NBC’s 998,000 — a distinction of simply 90,000 viewers.
Earlier in January, Tom Llamas’ “NBC Nightly News” narrowly beat Muir’s broadcast within the prized demographic during a main breaking-news week.
Last week, Llamas beat Muir within the 25-54 demo on Wednesday and Thursday, in response to Nielsen information. Llamas’s Wednesday broadcast topped Muir within the demo by 3,000 viewers.
The Thursday version of “Nightly News” edged out “World News Tonight” by 106,000 younger grownup viewers, in response to Nielsen figures.
CBS remained firmly in third place, averaging about 4.9 million complete viewers for the week, in response to Nielsen.
Tony Dokoupil anchors the newly revamped “CBS Evening News,” which has posted double-digit growth in complete viewers and the 25-54 demographic in its first weeks with him on the helm, in response to Nielsen information. CBS through Getty Images
In the 25-54 demo, “CBS Evening News” drew about 675,000 viewers, nicely behind ABC and nonetheless short of NBC’s efficiency.
New anchor Tony Dokoupil’s tenure has gotten off to a rocky begin. During his first week within the anchor chair, the “CBS Evening News” skilled an on-air mishap involving a teleprompter problem that briefly disrupted the published and drew consideration on social media.
While the issue was shortly corrected and CBS downplayed the incident as a routine live-television glitch, it added to the scrutiny surrounding Dokoupil’s high-profile debut because the community works to stabilize the long-struggling night newscast.
An on-air crying episode additionally drew jeers.
Nonetheless, a CBS News release touted Dokoupil’s double-digit growth in complete viewers — and within the 25-54 demo — in comparison with its 2025-26 season-to-date average.
Muir’s broadcast final week generated an average of 9 million complete viewers. Getty Images
CBS famous that its 4.9 million complete viewers was 21% larger than its season average to this point.
The program was up 16% in complete viewers and the important thing demo in contrast with the prior week.
During Dokoupil’s first three weeks, “CBS Evening News” has averaged 4.4 million viewers, a 10% enchancment over its season average, with 597,000 adults ages 25-54, a 21% soar.
Dokoupil’s Jan. 19 broadcast drew 6.4 million complete viewers, the best complete for the show in 5 years — although that attributed to NBC pre-empting its newscast with NBA basketball.
The broadcast has additionally generated 193 million views throughout social platforms, alongside a 26% soar in YouTube viewing minutes and a 64% increase in story consumption on CBSNews.com.
ABC News and NBC News declined to remark. The Post has reached out to CBS News.
