"World News Tonight with David Muir" Ranks #1 for the Week Among Adults 25-54

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ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the week’s No. 1 evening newscast in Adults 25-54 (1.880 million) for the week of May 25, 2015, based on Live +Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.  “World News Tonight” beat NBC’s “Nightly News” (1.771 million) by its largest news demo margin (+109,000) in 5 weeks (since w/o 4/20/15) and delivered its 10th win in the last 12 weeks.

“World News Tonight” slashed nearly all of its year-to-year gaps with “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (-97% - 26,000 vs. 1.027 million) and Adults 18-49 (-78% - 47,000 vs. 210,000).

“World News Tonight” built on the year-ago week (7.091 million and 1.850 million, respectively, on w/o 5/26/14) in Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 25-54 (+2%).  In addition “World News Tonight” has posted year-to-year Total Viewer growth for the 4th consecutive week and in 9 of the last 10 weeks.

“World News Tonight” saw across-the-board gains week to week (7.541 million, 1.747 million and 1.203 million, respectively, for w/o 5/18/15): Total Viewers (+1%), Adults 25-54 (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+5%).   World News Tonight” grew the most from previous week in both Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 compared to “CBS Evening News” (-6%/-8%) and “NBC Nightly News” (+1%/+4%).

“World News Tonight” is averaging 474,000 more viewers, season to date, compared to the same time frame last season (8.556 million vs. 8.082 million), while “NBC Nightly News” is posting a 307,000 average loss (8.936 million vs. 9.243 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%).  “World News Tonight” is averaging its largest overall viewer audience in 7 years and strongest in the key adult news demo in 4 years – since the 2007-08 and the 2010-11 seasons, respectively.  In addition, “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” (+2%/-3%) and “NBC Nightly News” (-3%/-8%).

Season to date, “World News Tonight” is running neck and neck with “NBC Nightly News” for the Adults 25-54 lead with only 3,000 news demo viewers separating the two programs (2.116 million vs. 2.119 million).  “World News Tonight” is delivering its closest news demo performance with the NBC program in 7 years – since the 2007-08 season.   In addition, “World News Tonight” cut its season gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by more than half in Total Viewers (-67% - 380,000 vs. 1.161 million) and Adults 18-49 (-65% - 91,000 vs. 262,000) to its closest performances in 7 years in both measures  – since the 2007-08 season.

For the week, “World News Tonight” outperformed the “CBS Evening News” by 1.232 million Total Viewers, by 438,000 Adults 25-54 and by 260,000 Adults 18-49, turning in its largest leads in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo in 5 weeks – since w/o 4/20/15.

NOTE: Due to the Memorial Day holiday, all three programs were coded specials on Monday and each telecast is excluded from the averages.

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 (Week of May 25, 2015)

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD weeks of 5/25/15, 5/18/15 and 5/26/14.  Most Current: 2014-2015 Season (9/22/14 – 5/31/15) and 2013-2014 Season (9/23/13 – 6/1/14).  Averages based on regular telecasts.