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The first quarter ratings are in for the evening news programs across ABC, NBC, and CBS, and ABC’s World News Tonight is the big winner, posting gains in both total viewers and the key demographic.
According to Nielsen ratings, World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, averaged 8.13 million total viewers in the first quarter of 2025. This is up slightly from the 8.12 million in the same period last year. The show also averaged 1.16 million viewers in the coveted 25-54 demo, up 3% on the same quarter the previous year.
Meanwhile, both CBS and NBC saw drops in total viewers and the key demo compared to the first quarter of 2024. NBC Nightly News, hosted by Lester Holt, averaged 6.6 million total viewers, down 3% on last year’s quarter average and 983,000 in the key demo, down by 1%.
CBS Evening News averaged 4.59 million total viewers, dropping 8% on its 2024 average, and 657,000 in the key demo, down 9%. This comes after the show’s long-time anchor, Norah O’Donnell, exited the network on January 23. Evening News debuted a new format on January 27, with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois helming the show.
While CBS and NBC were down on the same quarter last year, both networks posted gains on the last quarter of 2024. NBC Nightly News was up 9% in total viewers and 10% in the key demo compared to the prior quarter. CBS Evening News was up 1% in total viewers versus the last quarter, though dipped -2% in the key demo.
In February, NBC Nightly News host Holt announced he would be stepping away from the show this summer. Holt will remain with NBC News, taking on a full-time role at Dateline NBC.
It was later revealed that Top Story host Tom Llamas will succeed Holt as the Nightly News anchor and managing editor beginning this summer.
“Anchoring NBC Nightly News is a profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility. I look forward to working with the world-class journalists at Nightly News and Top Story to bring viewers the most important stories every night,” Llamas said in a statement.
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Jalen Milroe Surges Past Former NFL Starter on First Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart
Despite being viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe ended up sliding into the third round. The 22-year-old who was the starter for Alabama for two seasons was selected with the No. 92 pick by the Seattle Seahawks. Although every player's dream is to go in the first round, Milroe likely couldn't have gone to a better situation. There is virtually no pressure on him as the Seahawks signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Sam Darnold, to a three-year, $100.5 million contract this offseason, and also have Drew Lock, who has started 28 career games on the roster as well. However, based on ESPN's initial depth chart, Milroe may be climbing the depth chart sooner than most expected. Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart As reported by ESPN, the Seahawks depth chart goes as follows: QB1: Sam Darnold QB2 Jalen Milroe QB3 Drew Lock If this truly ends up being the case, Milroe has taken major strides following his final season at Alabama. During his final year in Tuscaloosa, Milroe was criticized heavily for forcing passes into windows that weren't there after being late on reads. In his final season at Alabama, Milroe threw a career-high 11 interceptions to just 16 touchdowns, an increase of five more interceptions than he threw in 2023. Although training camp is still ongoing and the preseason games have yet to be played, clearly, Milroe is finding some success in the pacific northwest.
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Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court
Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.
Agent reveals if James Cook still wants to play for Bills amid contract saga
Running back James Cook seemingly surprised the Buffalo Bills when he changed course regarding his desire for a multi-year contract extension and stopped participating in training-camp practices as part of a hold-in. For an article published on Wednesday night, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic spoke with Zac Hiller, one of Cook’s agents, about the 25-year-old's mindset as the ball-carrier remains in the final year of his rookie deal this summer. "James Cook only wants to be a Buffalo Bill," Hiller said. "This isn’t some $200M Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones negotiation. We’re hopeful there’s a resolution soon, and we’ll keep working toward that every day." Cook previously suggested he wants to earn around $15M per season via an extension. However, that was before Kyren Williams of the Los Angeles Rams agreed to a three-year, $33M deal that included $23M in guaranteed money. While Buscaglia noted that "it’s an imperfect comparison," the perception exists that the Bills may now feel that Cook isn't worth more than $11M per year. According to StatMuse, Cook has recorded the ninth-most regular-season rushing yards (2,131) since Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. ESPN stats show that Cook, Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions finished last season leading the league with 16 rushing touchdowns each. According to Buscaglia, "there is no indication" that Buffalo will trade Cook before the upcoming season gets underway. That makes sense considering the 2025 Bills are expected to do more than simply compete for a playoff berth. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Buffalo and Baltimore tied as the betting favorites at +600 odds to win Super Bowl LX. Buscaglia added that the Bills and Cook could agree to a reworked one-year deal "with enhanced bonus incentives to potentially earn more in a single season." It's unclear how Cook would feel about punting conversations about a potential multi-year extension down the road with Buffalo's regular-season opener against Baltimore still a month away (Sept. 7). For what it's worth, ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg shared on Wednesday that Cook "is continuing to talk with the team" amid his hold-in.
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