# CBS gains in demo as big three evening newscasts flat

> ABC keeps total viewer lead while CBS is the only newscast to grow in the advertiser-friendly demo.
- Title: CBS gains in demo as big three evening newscasts flat · Adweek
- Summary: ABC keeps total viewer lead while CBS is the only newscast to grow in the advertiser-friendly demo. CBS Evening News was the sole gainer in the Adults 25-54…
- Keywords: abc world news tonight, cbs evening news, nbc nightly news, evening news ratings, adults 25-54 demo, television ratings, nielsen ratings, broadcast news, september 2026, CBS, gains, demo
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/tvnewser/week-of-sept-7-2026-evening-news-ratings
- Author: Mark Mwachiro
- Published: 2026-09-22T17:46:28+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: abc world news tonight, cbs evening news, nbc nightly news, evening news ratings, adults 25-54 demo, television ratings, nielsen ratings, broadcast news, september 2026
## ABC leads total viewers
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir averaged 8.02 million total viewers and reclaimed the number one spot in the Adults 25-54 demo for the week of September 7.
## ABC dips week-to-week
ABC was down 6% in total viewers compared to the previous week, though it held flat in the Adults 25-54 demo. Year-over-year, it was up 12% in total viewers and 10% in the demo.
## NBC slides in both metrics
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas dropped 7% in total viewers and 9% in the demo week-to-week, finishing second in both categories with 6.472 million and 1.006 million viewers respectively.
## CBS gains in the demo
CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil was the only newscast to post gains, rising 2% in the Adults 25-54 demo despite dropping 4% in total viewers. It averaged 3.893 million total viewers and 556,000 demo viewers.
## No Labor Day bounce
All three newscasts registered no viewership gains in total viewers following the Labor Day holiday weekend, suggesting the holiday had minimal impact on evening news audiences.
## Key takeaway

CBS Evening News was the sole gainer in the Adults 25-54 demographic for the week of September 7, while ABC World News Tonight maintained its overall viewership advantage.