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ABC World News Delivers Best News Demo Performance in Two Years

Related: WORLD NEWS WITH DIANE SAWYER, ABC

For the week of February 4, 2013, "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" averaged 8.63 million Total Viewers and a 2.0 rating/8 share/2.33 million in Adults 25-54, according to NielsenMedia Research. For the 4th time in the last 5 weeks, the ABC evening newscast improved on its Adults 25-54 performance over the prior week (+4%, 2.24 million on w/o 1/28/13), hitting a season high in the key adult news demo (week of regular telecasts). In fact "World News" delivered its best Adults 25-54 numbers in 2 nearly years - since w/o 3/21/11.

For the 2nd week in a row, "World News" saw increases over the year-ago week in both Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 25-54 (+10%) - 7.97 million and 2.12 million, respectively, on w/o 2/6/12. In fact, "World News" has turned in year-to-year Total Viewer improvement for 7 consecutive weeks.

"World News" slashed its margins on the same week last year with "NBC Nightly News" by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-34%, 1.01 million vs. 1.53 million) and Adults 25-54 (-42%, 315,000 vs. 539,000).

Season-to-date, "World News" has increased its Total Viewing audience (+2%, 8.08 million vs. 7.90 million) compared to the same point last season, drawing its most-watched season in 3 years - since the 2009-10 season. In addition, "World News" has narrowed its Total Viewer gap (-21%) with "NBC Nightly News" by double-digits for the second year in a row to post its smallest gap (793,000) with the NBC program in 4 years- since the 2008-09 season.

For the week "ABC World News" outperformed "CBS Evening News" by 1.15 million Total Viewers and by 187,000 Adults 25-54.

EVENING NEWS (Week of February 4, 2013)

Total Viewers Adults 25-54 Households
ABC 8,628,000 2.0/8; 2,328,000 5.8/11
NBC 9,640,000 2.2/8; 2,643,000 6.4/12
CBS 7,482,000 1.8/6; 2,141,000 5.0/ 9

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 2/4/13, 1/28/13 & 2/6/12. Most Current - 2012-2013 Season (9/24/12 - 2/10/13) and 2011-2012 Season (9/19/11 - 2/5/12). All averages based on regular telecasts.