'NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt' Finishes No. 1 Across the Board for the 2015 Calendar Year

NBC Nightly News With Lester Holtis the only broadcast to post year-to-year growth in key demos. For the year, it averaged 8.982 million total viewers.

NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt was No. 1 in total viewers and all categories for the week of December 7-11, and the only evening newscast to post year-to-year growth in the key demos: A25-54 (+2 percent, or +32,000) viewers and A18-49 (+1 percent, or +18,000) viewers.

Compared to the same week last season, Nightly posted larger advantages over both ABC and CBS among A25-54 and A18-49 viewers. ABC was the only newscast to post losses across the board: total viewers (-2 percent), A25-54 (-8 percent) and A19-49 viewers (-8 percent).

The NBC broadcast won all five evening last week among total viewers, A25-54 viewers and A18-49 viewers. Nightly has now been No. 1 among total viewers all 25 weeks since Holt was named anchor and No. 1 in all key demos for 23 of the past 25 weeks.

For the 2015 calendar year, Nightly is the No. 1 evening newscast across the board. Versus the same period in 2014, Nightly’s A25-54 advantage over ABC has improved by +21 percent.

Compared to its 4Q’15-to-date levels, the NBC broadcast delivered increases across-the-board: (+2 percent, or +155,000), A25-54 viewers (+1 percent, or +30,000), and A18-49 viewers (+3 percent, or +52,000). Nightly’s advantages over ABC were also up double digits - up +28 percent in total viewers and A18-49 viewers and +15 percent among A25-54 viewers.

Weekly Highlights:

• Nightly averaged 8.982 million total viewers, outperforming ABC by +438,000 (+5 percent) and CBS by +1.498 million (+20 percent).

• Nightly secured the No. 1 spot in total viewers for the 25th consecutive week, 30th of the last 33 weeks, and the 365th of the last 373 weeks.

• Nightly averaged 2.165 million A25-54 viewers, +209,000 (+11 percent) higher than ABC and +431,000 (+25 percent) more than CBS.

• Nightly has been No. 1 among A25-54 for 23 of the last 25 weeks.

• Nightly averaged 1.587 million A18-49 viewers, leading ABC by +280,000 (+21 percent) and CBS by +433,000 (+38 percent).

• Nightly won its 20th straight week among A18-49 viewers, its 24th of the last 25 weeks, and its 28th of the last 31 weeks.
   

Season-to-Date Highlights:

• Nightly averages 8.841 million total viewers, +343,000 (+4 percent) higher than ABC and +1.511 million (+21 percent) more than CBS.

• Nightly averages 2.138 million A25-54 viewers, +182,000 (+9 percent) more than ABC and +481,000 (+29 percent) ahead of CBS.

• Nightly has seen a +197,000 viewer turnaround in the A25-54 gap versus last year when it trailed ABC by -15,000.

• Nightly averages 1.540 million A18-49 viewers, +223,000 (+17 percent) more than ABC and +427,000 (+38 percent) more than CBS.

• Compared to the same point last season, Nightly’s A18-49 lead over ABC is up by 88 percent while its advantage over CBS is 12 percent higher.