Network Newscasts Lose Viewers in Late October
ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts each drew fewer total viewers the week of October 26, 2026, according to Nielsen data.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Television
ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News all lost total viewers and Adults 25-54 viewers in the week of October 26, 2026. CBS Evening News fell below 600,000 Adults 25-54 viewers the week before the midterm elections.
Why it matters
The ratings decline comes as national audiences look for political news ahead of the November 3, 2026 midterms, a period that typically draws heightened interest in evening news coverage. The figures show how the three broadcast newscasts are performing in the same window across the United States.
Weekly averages are based on Monday through Thursday broadcasts measured by Nielsen, with Friday's October 30, 2026 newscasts excluded from the figures. ABC's total audience was up 9% from the same week in 2025, while the cause of the week-over-week declines is not addressed in the source.
The players
Nielsen
Nielsen is the audience measurement company whose national live+same-day data supplied the viewership figures for the three evening newscasts.
ABC World News Tonight
ABC World News Tonight is the flagship evening newscast of the ABC television network.
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship evening newscast of the NBC television network.
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship evening newscast of the CBS television network.
The details
ABC World News Tonight drew 8.454 million total viewers and 1.157 million Adults 25-54 for the week of October 26, 2026. NBC Nightly News averaged 6.652 million total viewers and 1.049 million Adults 25-54, while CBS Evening News averaged 4.187 million total viewers and 590,000 Adults 25-54.
Timeline
October 26, 2026: Week of newscast ratings measured across ABC, NBC and CBS.
October 30, 2026: Friday broadcasts retitled and excluded from weekly averages.
November 3, 2026: Midterm elections held the week after the ratings period.
Industry Dynamics
The weekly figures are reported through Nielsen's national live+same-day measurement, which is the standard currency for comparing evening newscast audiences across the three broadcast networks. Measured against the same week in 2025, ABC's audience gains show the period is not uniformly declining, even as week-over-week results dipped across all three newscasts.
Viewers can watch the three evening newscasts on their local broadcast affiliates at their regular air times. The weekly ratings reflect where Americans are choosing to watch national news, which affects how the networks schedule and staff their flagship evening programs.
The takeaway
Evening newscast audiences can shift quickly around major news events, so single-week ratings are best read alongside the year-over-year trend. Readers interested in how national news is consumed can compare these weekly averages across the three networks over time.
Further reading
For related coverage, see the Television section on Wisevoter.com.
