"World News Tonight with David Muir" Scores Most Watched July Sweep in 8 Years

— -- July 2015 Sweep

“ABC World News with David Muir” averaged 7.515 million Total Viewers, 1.821 million Adults 25-54 and 1.267 million Adults 18-49 during the 2015 July sweep, based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research. 

“World News Tonight” narrowed its July sweep Total Viewer margin with NBC’s “Nightly News” year to year by double digits (-31% - 402,000 vs. 585,000) to deliver its closest performance during the month in 7 years – since July 2008. 

“World News Tonight” led CBS’ “Evening News” by 1.115 million Total Viewers, by 396,000 Adults 25-54 and by 258,000 Adults 18-49 during the July 2015 sweep.  “World News” beat the CBS program by its largest July news demo advantage in 6 years – since July 2009. 

For the 2nd year in a row, “World News Tonight” improved on the year-ago July sweep (+4% - 7.515 million vs. 7.232 million for July 2014) to draw its most-watched July in 8 years – since July 2007. 

Week of July 27, 2015

ABC News’  “World News Tonight with David Muir” averaged 7.573 million Total Viewers, 1.809 million Adults 25-54 and 1.267 million Adults 18-49 for the week of July 27, 2015, based on Live +Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.  

For the 2nd week in a row, “World News Tonight” increased year to year (7.013 million, 1.765 million and 1.219 million, respectively, on w/o 7/28/14) in all three key target demos: Total Viewers (+8%), Adults 25-54 (+2%), Adults 18-49 (+4%).  In fact, “World News Tonight” improved the most on the same week last year in Total Viewers and was the only program to grow in either adult demo as “CBS Evening News” (+4%/-6%/-7%) was mixed, while “NBC Nightly News” (-1%/-1%/-4%) was down.

“World News Tonight” decreased its year-to-year margins with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits in Total Viewers (-72% - 254,000 vs. 906,000), Adults 25-54 (-31% - 118,000 vs. 172,000) and Adults 18-49 (-53% - 88,000 vs. 188,000).

“World News Tonight” grew its overall audience week to week (+2% - 7.573 million vs. 7.440 million on w/o 7/20/15) to deliver its most-watched week in 5 weeks – since w/o 6/22/15.

Season to date, “World News Tonight” has slashed nearly all of its season margin with “NBC Nightly News” in Adults 25-54 (-94% - 10,000 vs. 169,000), delivering its closest news demo performance with the NBC program in 8 years – since the 2006-07 season.  

Season to date, “World News Tonight” is averaging 482,000 more viewers, compared to the same time frame last season (8.385 million vs. 7.903 million), while “NBC Nightly News” is posting a 249,000 average loss (8.736 million vs. 8.985 million).  For the 2nd year in a row, “World News Tonight” is improving versus the same point last season in both Total Viewers (+6%) and Adults 25-54 (+1%).  In fact, “World News Tonight” is improving the most in Total Viewers and standing as the only evening newscast to grow in Adults 25-54 compared to “CBS Evening News” (+3%/-2%) and “NBC Nightly News” (-3%/-6%). 

“World News Tonight” is averaging its largest overall viewer audience in 8 years and strongest in the key adult news demo in 4 years – since the 2006-07 and the 2010-11 seasons, respectively.  

“World News Tonight” cut its season gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by more than half in Total Viewers (-68% - 351,000 vs. 1.082 million) and Adults 18-49 (-62% - 87,000 vs. 228,000) to its closest performance in 7 years in Total Viewers and in 8 years in Adults 18-49  – since the 2007-08 and the 2006-07 seasons, respectively.

For the week, “World News Tonight” led the “CBS Evening News” by 1.470 million Total Viewers, by 407,000 Adults 25-54 and by 281,000 Adults 18-49, posting its largest overall viewer lead in 4 months – since weeks of 3/23/15.

ABC “World News Tonight with David Muir” airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.  Almin Karamehmedovic is the executive producer of the broadcast. Follow David Muir and the “World News Tonight” team online: @DavidMuir; @WNTonight; facebook.com/DavidMuirABC; facebook.com/WorldNewsTonight.

EVENING NEWS (July 2015 Sweep)

EVENING NEWS (Week of July 27, 2015)

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD weeks of 7/27/15, 7/20/15 and 7/28/14.  Most Current: 2014-2015 Season (9/22/14 – 7/26/15) and 2013-2014 Season (9/23/13 – 7/27/14).  Most Current: July 2015 Sweep (7/2-7/29/15), 2014 Sweep (7/3-7/30/14) and May 2015 Sweep (4/23-5/20/15).  Sweep periods (November, February, May and July).  Averages based on regular telecasts.