Evening News Ratings: ABC’s David Muir Leads as CBS Faces Challenges
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir continues to dominate the evening news landscape, maintaining its position as the most-watched newscast in the United States. However, all three major evening news programs experienced week-to-week viewership declines during the week of March 9, 2026, potentially influenced by the recent switch to Daylight Saving Time and ongoing coverage of global economic concerns stemming from Middle East unrest.
Ratings Breakdown: Week of March 9, 2026
According to Nielsen national live+same-day big data plus program ratings, here’s a look at the performance of each network:
- ABC World News Tonight with David Muir: Averaged 8.478 million total viewers and 1.033 million adults aged 25-54. This represents a 5% decrease in total viewers and a 6% decrease in the key demographic compared to the previous week. However, viewership was up 13% in total viewers and 1% in the demo compared to the same week in 2025. Source: ABC News
- NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas: Secured 6.514 million total viewers and 946,000 adults 25-54. The program saw a 6% drop in total viewers and a 10% decrease in the demo week-over-week. Year-over-year, Nightly News experienced growth, increasing by 7% in total viewers and 6% in the demo.
- CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil: Attracted 3.845 million total viewers and 468,000 adults 25-54. CBS News’ broadcast experienced a 7% decline in total viewers and an 8% decrease in the demo compared to the previous week. The network also saw year-over-year declines of 5% in total viewers and 21% in the demo – the largest drop among the three networks. Source: ABC News
CBS Evening News Continues to Lag
CBS Evening News remains in third place, significantly trailing ABC and NBC in viewership. The current numbers show CBS off by 4.633 million total viewers from World News Tonight. The gap between ABC and CBS is the largest it has been in at least 34 years. The previous iteration of CBS’s evening broadcast, co-hosted by John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, faced similar challenges, potentially contributing to the format and anchor changes following the arrival of Bari Weiss at the network.
Recent News Coverage
Recent coverage on World News Tonight with David Muir has included:
- Attacks on Middle East energy sites and their potential impact on the U.S. Economy. Source: ABC News
- Challenges faced by TSA workers amid potential government shutdowns. Source: ABC News
- Concerns over unauthorized drone activity over U.S. Air Force bases. Source: ABC News
- Severe flooding in Hawaii and the estimated $1 billion in potential damage. Source: ABC News
- An unprecedented heat wave impacting the Western United States. Source: ABC News
- The passing of actor Chuck Norris. Source: ABC News
Looking Ahead
The evening news landscape remains competitive, with networks constantly adjusting to changing viewership habits and breaking news events. The impact of ongoing global events and the effectiveness of network strategies will be key factors in determining future ratings trends. World News Tonight with David Muir currently maintains a strong lead, but the other networks will likely continue to seek ways to close the gap.