NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki breaks down midterms data in New York City on Nov. 3, 2026. Courtesy of NBC News By Mark Mwachiro --> Steve Kornacki ‘s data wizardry helped propel NBC News to the No. 1 spot in broadcast and cable in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo during Tuesday night’s coverage of the 2026 midterm elections .
NBC News’ performance comes as, according to Nielsen Media Research, a total of 31.2 million viewers across 13 networks tuned in between 8 and 11 p.m. ET to watch the blue wave sweep across the nation as the Democratic Party won both chambers of Congress. (All times Eastern) This year’s numbers were significantly better than the last midterm election , up +23% compared to 2022.
Hover or tap a point for the exact viewers, the programming window, and the number of networks.
During primetime, NBC News registered 6.74 million total viewers and 2.794 million demo viewers. Compared to 2022, NBC News was up by triple digits, 117% in total viewers and 164% in the demo.
In second place in both measured categories was ABC News, with 5.19 million total viewers and 1.672 million demo viewers. This represented gains of 57% in total viewers and 86% in the demo compared to the last midterm election cycle.
On the cable news front, Fox News led the way in total viewers, while CNN was the top network in the prized demo. Fox News had 4.315 million total viewers and 771,000 demo viewers. Compared to 2022, Fox News was down 42% in total viewers and 59% in the demo.
Meanwhile, CNN finished second among the cable networks with 4.147 million total viewers, but was No. 1 in the demo with 1.512 million viewers. Compared to 2022, CNN saw gains of 59% in total viewers and 43% in the demo.
Hover or tap a point for the exact viewers in each year for each network.
Mark Mwachiro is a TVNewser contributor who has been writing for the blog since March 2022. Based out of New York, Mark has also contributed to ADWEEK.
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