NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams Posts Best Season in Eight Years

The 2013-14 season also marked NBC Nightly News' best advantage over the competition in two years, according to Nielsen data.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was No. 1 in total viewers and all 18-49 and 25-54 demo ratings for the 2013-2014 season, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

Nightly posted its best delivery in total viewers in eight seasons (since the 2005-06 season) and its biggest advantages over ABC and CBS since the 2011-12 season. It posted the biggest audience growth versus the 2012-13 season (+6 percent, or +481,000) and also had its biggest season-to-season gain in total viewers in over 20 years (since the 1992-93 season). Nightly also widened its total viewer lead over ABC by +26 percent versus the 2012-13 season, distancing itself from ABC by the biggest season-to-season margin in four years (since 2009-10 season).

The 3-net total viewer audience (23.5 million) hit its highest level since the 2005-06 season. Nightly represented 44 percent of the overall increase versus the 2012-13 season, followed by CBS (29 percent) and ABC (27 percent).

Highlights:

• No. 1 in total viewers and all 18-49 and 25-54 demo ratings.

• Averaged 8.829 million total viewers, +11 percent (+900,000) ahead of ABC World News’ 7.929 million viewers and +31 percent (+2,087,000) more than CBS Evening News’ 6.742 million viewers.

• Averaged a 1.8 A25-54 rating, +1 tenth more than ABC’s 1.7 rating and +4 tenths more than CBS’ 1.4 rating.

• Among A25-54, Nightly averaged 2.162 million viewers, +5 percent (+111,000) more than ABC’s 2.051 million and +31 percent (+508,000) ahead of CBS’ 1.654 million.

• Averaged 1.601 million A18-49 viewers, +13 percent (+189,000) more than ABC and +41 percent (+467,000) ahead of CBS.

• Averaged a 1.3 A18-49 rating, beating ABC by +2 tenths and CBS by +4 tenths.

• Nightly was the only evening newscast to post a gain in rating M18-49 versus last season.

Nightly has been No. 1 in:

• Total viewers for 18 consecutive seasons.

• Rating adults 25-54 for 18 consecutive seasons (1 tie).

• Rating women 25-54 for 6 consecutive seasons.

• Rating men 25-54 for 18 consecutive seasons.

• Adults 18-49 for 18 consecutive seasons.

• Men 18-49 for 18 consecutive seasons.

• Women 18-49 for 7 consecutive seasons (1 tie).