"ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" Closes Viewing Gaps with "NBC Nightly News" Both Week-to-Week and Year-to-Year

In Final Week of the Season, ABC "World News" Newscast Slashes Total Viewing Gap with NBC by 48% and the Demo Gap by 30% Compared to the Year-Ago Week

During the 2011-12 Season "ABC World News" Closes Key Demo Gap with NBC by -18%

In Final Weeks of the Season, "World News" Cuts Viewership Gaps with "NBC Nightly News" by Double-Digits

For the week of September 17, 2012, the final week of the 2011-12 season, "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" averaged 7.32 million Total Viewers and a 1.5 rating/6 share/1.77 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research. "World News" was up over the final week of the 2010-11 season in Total Viewers (7.25 million on w/o 9/12/11).

"World News" cut its week-to-week gaps with "NBC Nightly News" in Total Viewer (-8% - 508,000 vs. 555,000) and Adults 25-54 (-2% - 316,000 vs. 322,000).

"World News" narrowed its margins with "NBC Nightly News" compared to the final week of the 2010-11 season (w/o 9/12/11) by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-48% - 508,000 vs. 974,000) and Adults 25-54 (-30% - 316,000 vs. 450,000).

"ABC World News" beat the "CBS Evening News" by 1.48 million Total Viewers and 107,000 Adults 25-54.

NOTE : On Friday, David Muir anchored "World News."

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For the 3rd Quarter 2012, which was impacted by the 2012 London Olympic Games, "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" averaged 7.17 million Total Viewers and a 1.5 rating/6 share/1.83 million among Adults 25-54. "World News" was up quarter-to-quarter in Total Viewers (7.08 million - 2Q12).

"World News" outperformed the "CBS Evening News" by 1.48 million Total Viewers and by 179,000 Adults 25-54 viewers during 3Q12, posting its largest quarter lead in Total Viewers over the CBS program in 3 quarters - since 4Q11 .

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For the 2011-12 television season, "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" averaged 7.49 million Total Viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share/1.97 million among Adults 25-54.

"World News" narrowed its 2011-12 season gap with "NBC Nightly News" among Adults 25-54 (-18%) versus the 2010-11 season, delivering its smallest news demo margin (384,000) with the NBC program in 3 years - since the 2008-09 season.

In fact, in the final six weeks of the season on average, post-Olympics, "World News" decreased its margins with "NBC Nightly News" by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-22% - 599,000 vs. 767,000) and Adults 25-54 (-23% - 299,000 vs. 389,000) compared to the margins of the comparable year-ago weeks.

"World News"outperformed "CBS Evening News" by 1.46 million viewers and by 214,000 Adults 25-54.

"ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast. Follow Diane Sawyer and the "World News" team online: @DianeSawyer; @ABCWorldNews; facebook.com/DianeSawyer; facebook.com/WorldNews.

• RELATED : "This Week" Surged Year-to-Year by +25% in Total Viewers & by +28% in Demo
• RELATED: For First Time, "GMA" Saturday & Sunday Beat NBC "Today" Saturday & Sunday Telecasts in Both Total Viewers and Adults 25-54

EVENING NEWS (Week of September 17, 2012)

EVENING NEWS (3rd Quarter, 2012)

EVENING NEWS (2011-12 Season)

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 9/17/12, 9/10/12 & 9/12/11. 3Q11: 6/25 - 9/23/12. 2Q12: 3/26 - 6/24/12. 3Q11: 6/27 - 9/18/11. Television Season 2011-12 (9/19/11 - 9/23/12) and 2010-2011 (9/20/10 - 9/18/11).