A few months after taking the anchor seat at “CBS Evening News,” Tony Dokoupil still lags far behind his rivals, the latest Nielsen figures show.
The nightly newscast pulled in about 3.8 million viewers and fewer than 500,000 adults in the key 25-to-54 demographic during the week of April 6 — a sharp drop that left it trailing both “ABC World News Tonight” and “NBC Nightly News” by wide margins, according to recently released ratings.
ABC’s flagship broadcast, meanwhile, remains the clear leader in the nightly news wars, drawing more than 8 million total viewers and topping 1 million in the 25-to-54 demo during the week of April 6 — nearly double CBS’s audience in both categories.
NBC is in second place and gaining momentum. “Nightly News” is averaging about 6.4 million viewers and roughly 943,000 in the key demo, while notching steady year-over-year growth that is narrowing its gap with ABC.
The NBC broadcast anchored by Tom Llamas has also emerged as the only evening newscast posting across-the-board gains compared to last season — underscoring its upward trajectory as CBS continues to slide.
As Dokoupil has struggled in the anchor chair, CBS News has been roiled behind the scenes — with clashing leadership visions, layoffs and a broader overhaul fueling instability across the division.
Insiders describe a fractured newsroom where top executives are at odds over strategy, even as ratings for flagship programs — including “CBS Evening News” — sink to historic lows and staffers brace for further cuts.
“Tony Dokoupil and his team continue to build a program designed to reach audiences wherever they consume the news, and we’re very excited about the future of the Evening News brand under their leadership,” CBS News said in a statement. “No amount of false speculation or gossip will deter them from doing what they do best: reporting the news and telling the truth.”
On the positive side for CBS, its broadcast is averaging 4.2 million viewers and 539,000 in the key demo four months into Dokoupil’s tenure — up 5% in total viewers and 8% among adults 25-54 compared with the early part of the 2025-26 season.
The first-quarter performance also marked an improvement over the prior three quarters, when the program was co-anchored by Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson.
“ABC World News Tonight with David Muir” is up across the board leading NBC by nearly 2 million viewers and CBS by over 4 million. The ABC program is growing its audience, up 530,000 viewers over last year, delivering its largest lead over NBC in 31 years and largest lead over CBS in 34 years.
NBC’s broadcast has posted steady gains, adding about 383,000 total viewers and 103,000 in the key demo compared with last year, while also ticking up week-over-week.
“NBC Nightly News” has now logged 11 consecutive weeks of year-over-year growth in the 25-to-54 demographic.
The Post has sought comment from ABC News. An NBC News spokesperson didn’t respond to a Post inquiry.
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