ABC Closes Total Viewing Gap with NBC to Smallest Level in 6 Months

Season-to-Date, "ABC World News" Posting Smallest Gaps with "NBC Nightly News" in 5 Years

ABC Slashes Total Viewing Gap with NBC by 23% and Demo Gap by 11%, Season-to-Date

For the week of July 1, 2013 "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" averaged 7.18 million Total Viewers and a 1.5 rating/7 share/1.75 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research. "World News" grew its Total Viewer audience week-to-week by +8% (6.66 million on w/o 6/24/13) to draw its largest overall audience in 6 weeks - since w/o 5/20/13. In addition, "World News" improved the most in Total Viewers over the previous week compared to the "CBS Evening News" (-5%) and "NBC Nightly News" (+3%).

"World News" cut the Total Viewer gap with "NBC Nightly News" versus the prior week by double-digits (-38%, 499,000 vs. 805,000), posting its smallest Total Viewers gap in 6 months - since w/o 12/31/12.

For the 3rd week in a row and for the 6th time in the last 7 weeks, "World News" narrowed its year-to-year Adults 25-54 gap with "NBC Nightly News" by double-digits (-26%, 250,000 vs. 339,000) .

Season-to-date, "World News" has increased its Total Viewing audience (+3%) compared to the same point last season, drawing its most-watched season in 2 years - since the 2010-11 season. "World News" narrowed its margins by double-digits with "NBC Nightly News" among both Total Viewers (-23%) and Adults 25-54 (-11%) to post its smallest margins(781,000 and 314,000, respectively) with the NBC program in 5 years- since the 2007-08 season.

For the week, "World News" beat "CBS Evening News" by 1.41 million Total Viewers and by 307,000 Adults 25-54 . "World News" led the CBS program by its largest Total Viewer margin in more than 3 months - since w/o 3/25/13.

Note : Due to the 4th of July holiday, "ABC World News," "NBC Nightly News" and "CBS Evening News" were coded as specials on Thursday (7/4/13) and Friday (7/5/13) and each of the telecasts was excluded from the program averages. ABC's, NBC's and CBS' weekly averages are based on three days (Mon-Wed).

"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.

EVENING NEWS (Week of July 1, 2013)

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 7/1/13, 6/24/13 & 7/2/12. Most Current - 2012-2013 Season (9/24/12 -7/7/13) and 2011-2012 Season (9/19/11 - 7/1/12). All averages based on regular telecasts.