Trends in Network TV News Viewership % who regularly watch nightly network news by age
Young people are among the least likely to regularly watch network news: 11% of those 18-29 in 2012, compared with 46% of this age group in 1993. About half (49%) of 18-29 year olds say they never watch.
Older Americans, those 65 and up, are still far more likely to regularly watch network news than younger people, yet their regular viewership has dropped by almost half since 1993, from 75% down to 40% in 2012. According to Nielsen Media Research, the share of the public from the media’s highly coveted 25-54 year old demographic that watched NBC, ABC or CBS network news accounted for only 26% of all viewers in the 2012-13 ratings season. The vast majority of viewers were older Americans; a trend that is expected to continue.
Trends in Network TV News  | Viewership  | % who regularly watch nightly network news by age  | 80%  | 60  | 55  | 10  | 40  | 65+  | 34  | 50-64  | 27  | Total  | 26 30-49  | 20  | 11:48:29  | 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12  | Source: 2012 News Consum ption Survey. May g-June 3, 2012.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 