The week following President Donald Trump’s inauguration bedazzled television viewers with the usual flurry of political news, but the ratings for evening news broadcasts tell another story. Despite the significant political occasion, the major networks' evening news reports offered little bump in viewership, with mixed signals about their respective standings.
According to Nielsen ratings for the week of January 20, 2025, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt emerged as the only evening news broadcast to register week-to-week gains. This newfound momentum placed it securely behind ABC World News Tonight, which retained its title as the most-watched program across both broadcast and cable platforms, garnering 8.1 million total viewers. Notably, the program saw flat results from the previous week, with its key demographic, Adults 25-54, declining by 7% to 1.136 million viewers.
ABC's viewership performance can be contextualized by considering the disruptions from the inauguration. Both ABC and CBS Evening News, which experienced significant changes including the final week of anchor Norah O’Donnell, had modified weekly averages. O’Donnell’s last broadcast aired on January 23, but her departure didn’t propel CBS Evening News upward; it recorded 4.892 million total viewers and 714,000 demo viewers, marking respective dips of 3% and 1% from the week before.
NBC Nightly News, on the other hand, averaged 6.994 million total viewers with significant growth—3% for overall viewership and 7% for the sought-after demo group compared to the previous week. Yet, when assessed against year-ago figures, NBC Nightly News also showed declines of 5% for total viewers and the key demo.
The unwrapping of the CBS Evening News, which occurred on January 27, was marked by significant structural changes. Executive producer Bill Owens hinted back in August 2024 at such transformations, asserting, “We are removing the clutter. We are not going to be dealing with the things we think people might want to see, and we are going to be about real serious reporting.” His vision was realized through the introduction of multiple hosts, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who led the program with more focused and expansive storytelling instead of rapid-fire headlines typical of traditional formats.
On the new show, viewers are exposed to segments of longer, insightful journalism. For example, recent California wildfires and their insurance ramifications received detailed processing, alongside investigations concerning Chinese intelligence efforts to infiltrate U.S. military ranks. The new style also incorporated on-location reporting, with correspondents contributing from various vantage points. Lonnie Quinn and Margaret Brennan added valuable perspectives, covering weather and political affairs, respectively.
Feedback from audiences was largely enthusiastic about the changes. Comments online praised the fresh format’s depth and journalistic integrity. One viewer remarked on YouTube, “This was surprisingly good. Very PBS NewsHour meets 60 Minutes meets BBC. Zero sensationalism, no overuse of breaking news, and slower pace.” Another user felt reminded of traditional news roots, expressing gratitude for the CBS revival of its historical format, asserting, “It gives me sense of HOME again, the music, the desk, everything!”
These significant shifts at CBS come during a period of re-evaluation for evening news broadcasts as they simultaneously compete with the unyielding 24-hour news culture saturations across digital platforms. The shifting scenery underlines the importance of not just reporting the headlines but providing meaningful storytelling—a pivot many believe will resonate with viewers seeking authenticity amid the incessant clamor of news cycles. Given the resilient ratings of ABC World News Tonight alongside NBC’s incremental success, the upcoming weeks will be pivotal for CBS to test if its revamped format can recapture and retain engaged audiences.
Looking forward, CBS has embarked on reshaping its approach and anchoring on core journalism values, yet only time will tell if this strategy will translate to viewership and potentially reclaim its place at the news summit. With traditional news formats under scrutiny and audience preferences pivoting toward comprehensive storytelling, the competition among ABC, NBC, and CBS promises to intensify.
While ratings have settled from the political whirlwind of the inauguration week, the new CBS Evening News reflects broader shifts not just within its own programming but across the entire news industry. Indeed, it echoes sentiments across media platforms grappling with viewer attrition and the quest to remain relevant amid modernization and the relentless call for greater engagement.