Evening News Ratings

The "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" put up its best numbers in more than 9 months last week (week of Feb. 2). And ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson" had its best week in more than 8 months (week of Feb. 23).

NBC "Nightly News with Brian Williams", which still had a commanding 900K+ Total Viewer lead over #2 "World News", was actually down 90K viewers from the week prior. The Couric broadcast gained more than half a million viewers from the week prior. Both ABC and CBS were also up in the A25-54 demo and "World News" closed the demo gap with Nightly by 50%, week-to-week.

• Total Viewers: NBC: 9,380,000 / ABC: 8,420,000 / CBS: 6,740,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,820,000 / ABC: 2,520,000 / CBS: 2,040,000

Last week's most-reported news story, the massacre at Ft. Hood, sent viewers to the three evening newscasts for information.

NBC Nightly News saw a nearly 1M Total Viewer increase in their average from the week prior. (After the jump, an internal email sent by Nightly EP Bob Epstein.) ABC World News saw an increase of more than 400K, and CBS Evening News was up more than 300K.

• Total Viewers: NBC: 9,470,000 / ABC: 8,380,000 / CBS: 6,200,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,920,000 / ABC: 2,320,000 / CBS: 1,870,000

continued...

NBC "Nightly News" was again #1 last week as Brian Williams anchored the newscast for several days from Afghanistan. "Nightly" added 220K Total Viewers week-to-week. ABC's "World News" also increased week-to-week, adding 260K Total Viewers. NBC and ABC also added viewers in the demo. The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric was down in both categories week-to-week.

Compared to the same week last year, which was the week before the 2008 presidential election, "Nightly News" is the only evening newscast to show growth in Total Viewers (8.36M v. 8.50M).

The numbers:

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,500,000 / ABC: 7,950,000 / CBS: 5,880,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,490,000 / ABC: 2,320,000 / CBS: 1,780,000

NBC "Nightly News" was again #1 last week, but lost nearly 500,000 Total Viewers from the week before. ABC's "World News" was also down week-to-week, losing about 40,000 Total Viewers. Only the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric grew week-to-week adding 30,000 Total Viewers.

Couric's broadcast was also the only program to grow in the demo. On Friday, George Stephanopolus subbed for Charlie Gibson on ABC.

The numbers:

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,280,000 / ABC: 7,690,000 / CBS: 5,970,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,460,000 / ABC: 2,160,000 / CBS: 1,830,000

NBC "Nightly News" led the evening news broadcast by 1 million Total Viewers last week. ABC's "World News" was ahead of third place "Evening News" by 1.8 million Total Viewers.

All three news programs saw week-to-week audience growth, with CBS' "Evening News" seeing the largest viewer increase: 690K. Both NBC and and CBS were up 230K in the demo. ABC saw its best numbers in 6 months.

The numbers:

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,770,000 / ABC: 7,730,000 / CBS: 5,940,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,730,000 / ABC: 2,210,000 / CBS: 1,770,000

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams had a 780K Total Viewer lead over #2 World News with Charles Gibson, while Gibson's program topped #2 CBS Evening News with Katie Couric by more than 2 million Total Viewers. Couric's broadcast, which was down 400K viewers from the week prior, devoted much of its programming to the war in Afghanistan -- a series that continues this week.

All three broadcasts lost viewers week-to-week. Only "Nightly News" gained in the A25-54 demo.

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,110,000 / ABC: 7,330,000 / CBS: 5,250,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,500,000 / ABC: 2,070,000 / CBS: 1,540,000

NBC "Nightly News" solidified its first place position among the evening news programs last week with significant viewer increases week-to-week. Second-place ABC "World News" had its best delivery since April. In fact, all three broadcasts saw gains in both Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo.

Week-to-week, "Nightly" gained 590,000 Total Viewers (220,000 A25-54), "World News" was up 380,000 (180,000), and CBS' "Evening News" drew an additional 140,000 (90,000).

The numbers:

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,310,000 / ABC: 7,650,000 / CBS: 5,680,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,430,000 / ABC: 2,200,000 / CBS: 1,690,000

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was again the #1 evening newscast last week with a +450K lead over #2 ABC "World News."

And while NBC and ABC were down week to week in Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric grew in both measurements gaining 320K Total Viewers week-to-week, still trailing "Nightly News" by 2.18M viewers.

• Total Viewers: NBC: 7,720,000 / ABC: 7,270,000 / CBS: 5,540,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,210,000 / ABC: 2,020,000 / CBS: 1,600,000

NBC "Nightly News" wins the 2008-2009 season in Total Viewers and the demo. This makes 13 consecutive Total Viewer wins for "Nightly." While ABC's "World News" and CBS' "Evening News" each saw year-to-year decreases in Total Viewers (-363K and -103K respectively), "Nightly" actually saw a 88K increase. In a year when the two had their lowest weeks ever, the ABC and CBS newscasts posted their lowest seasons of Total Viewers since the beginning of People Meters in 1987.

Program	Total Viewers	A25-54 Viewers
	8.698M	2.599M
	7.818M	2.351M
	6.053M	1.818M

After dropping to second place during the Labor Day week, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was back on top of the evening news race with a +710K lead over ABC "World News" and a nearly 3 million Total Viewer lead over third place "CBS Evening News." It was the first time since the week of June 29 (the week after Michael Jackson died) that one of the evening news shows topped 8 million Total Viewers. All three shows gained week-to-week in both Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo.

• Total Viewers: NBC: 8,150,000 / ABC: 7,440,000 / CBS: 5,220,000

• A25-54 viewers: NBC: 2,410,000 / ABC: 2,070,000 / CBS: 1,520,000