Both NBC and ABC have a legitimate claim to last week's ratings title, according to the incredibly confusing Nielson research.

“World News” was the most watched of the so-called Big 3, drawing an estimated 8.64 million viewers a night on average, 320,000 more than watched NBC’s program (8.32 million) and nearly 2 million more than tuned in to the “CBS Evening News With Katie Couric” (6.76 million). But Mr. Williams’s program on NBC was the most-watched among viewers 25 to 54, the demographic to which advertisers pay closest attention for evening news programs.

So ABC had 320,000 more viewers, but NBC grabbed the pivotal "25 to 54" demographic. Which makes us wonder, who's the real loser here?

Yep, that'd be CBS.

[via TVNewswer]