ABC's WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH DAVID MUIR Grows Most in Total Viewers

ABC News' "World News Tonight with David Muir" averaged 8.693 million Total Viewers, 2.118 million Adults 25-54 and 1.416 million Adults 18-49 during the week of December 8, 2014, based on Live +Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

Last week, "World News Tonight" featured reporting by Anchor David Muir on saving American jobs for "Made in America," Correspondent Ryan Smith on his exclusive with UVA students regarding the alleged rape SCANDAL and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz and Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl on the Senate report on the CIA enhance interrogation techniques.

"World News Tonight" improved the on the same week last year (8.286 million and 2.043 million, respectively, on w/o 12/9/13) in Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+4%). The ABC evening newscast grew the most in Total Viewers and was the only evening newscast to grow in the key adult news demo compared to "CBS Evening News" (flat/-8%) and "NBC Nightly News" (+1%/-10%). Further, "World News Tonight" has turned in year-to-year gains in both measures in 11 of 12 weeks of the season.

"World News Tonight" slashed nearly all of its Adult 25-54 margins with "NBC Nightly News" both from the previous week (-91% - 15,000 vs. 173,000) and the year-ago week (-95% - 15,000 vs. 323,000).

In addition, "World News Tonight" narrowed its gaps with "NBC Nightly News" week to week in Total Viewers (-16% - 678,000 vs. 809,000) and Adults 18-49 (-44% - 153,000 vs. 272,000), as well as year to year in Total Viewers (-33% - 678,000 vs. 1.013 million) and Adults 18-49 (-49% - 153,000 vs. 301,000).

Season to date, "World News Tonight" stands as the No. 1 evening newscast in Adults 25-54, leading "NBC Nightly News" by 17,000 news demo viewers. This marks the first time in 7 years that "World News Tonight" ranks as the top evening newscast in Adults 25-54 during the season - since the 2007-08 season. In addition, "World News Tonight" slashed its season gaps with "NBC Nightly News" by 41% in Total Viewers (599,000 vs. 1.017 million) and by 58% in Adults 18-49 (116,000 vs. 279,000) to its closest performances in 6 years and 7 years, respectively - since the 2008-09 and the 2007-08 seasons, respectively.

"World News Tonight" is improving versus the same point last season in Total Viewers (+7%), Adults 25-54 (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%). "World News Tonight" is averaging its largest overall viewer audience in 7 years and strongest in the key adult news demo in 5 years - since the 2007-08 and the 2009-10 seasons, respectively. In addition, "World News Tonight" is improving the most in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 compared to "CBS Evening News" (+1%/+2%/+3%) and "NBC Nightly News" (+2%/-6%/-6%).

For the week, "World News Tonight" beat the "CBS Evening News" by 1.348 million Total Viewers, by 388,000 Adults 25-54 and by 199,000 Adults 18-49.

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.

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