‘CBS Evening News’ gains modest ratings lift with Tony Dokoupil debut

The debut broadcast of “CBS Evening News” with Tony Dokoupil on Jan. 5 drew 4.4 million total viewers and 596,000 adults in the 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Big Data plus panel ratings. The figures marked a 9 percent increase in total viewers and a 20 percent gain in the key demo compared to Monday night averages for the season to date.

Despite the bump, CBS remained behind its competitors.

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ABC’s “World News Tonight” with David Muir led the week of Dec. 29 with 7.73 million viewers and 833,000 in the 25-54 demographic, according to data provided by ABC. “NBC Nightly News” with Tom Llamas also outpaced CBS, drawing 7.2 million viewers and 1.1 million in the demo during Dokoupil’s debut night.

A source attributed the CBS gains to high-profile interviews with figures such as Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Jan. 5 numbers were also up 11 percent in total viewers and 9 percent in the demo compared to the season’s average.

CBS has seen short-lived increases before.

When Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson launched their tenure as co-anchors in January 2025, they opened with an average of 5.2 million viewers. But their numbers quickly declined, and the newscast averaged 4 million viewers by year’s end.

In 2006, Katie Couric’s debut drew 14 million viewers, but the audience dropped to 8 million by the end of that same week. 

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While Dokoupil’s premiere marked a relative improvement over recent CBS averages, the show remains in third place among the major network evening broadcasts. One CBS source noted that initial curiosity often boosts viewership but is not a reliable long-term indicator.

CBS News declined to comment.