ABC WORLD NEWS Cuts Viewing Gaps with NBC to Smallest in 5 Years

For the February 2013 sweep, ABC WORLD NEWS WITH Diane Sawyer delivered 8.51 million Total Viewers and a 1.9 rating/7 share/2.27 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research. WORLD NEWS was up compared to the previous sweep (8.28 million and 2.18 million for November 2012) and the year-ago sweep (7.94 million and 2.13 million for February 2012) in both Total Viewers (+3% and +7%, respectively) and Adults 25-54 (+4% and +6%, respectively). In fact, the ABC evening newscast turned in its strongest numbers in 8 sweeps periods - since February 2011.

WORLD NEWS slashed its margins with NBC NIGHTLY NEWS nearly in half compared to the year-ago sweep in both Total Viewers (-43% - 837,000 vs. 1.47 million) and Adults 25-54 (-47% - 274,000 vs. 520,000) to post its smallest February sweep margins with the NBC program in 5 years - since February 2008.

WORLD NEWS outpaced the CBS' EVENING NEWS by 1.27 million Total Viewers and by 203,000 Adults 25-54 viewers during the February 2013 sweep.