RATINGS: WORLD NEWS TONIGHT Wins Largest February Sweep Victory Over NBC in 24 Years & CBS in 28 Years
By: Kaitlin Milligan Feb. 28, 2020
ABC News' "World News Tonight with David Muir" won the February 2020 sweep across the board: Total Viewers (9.200 million), Adults 25-54 (1.810 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.181 million), based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research. "World News Tonight" ranked No. 1 in all key demos during a February sweep for the first time in 13 years - since February 2007.
Muir anchored from Iowa on Monday, Feb. 3, to report on the Iowa Caucuses; Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and Wednesday, Feb. 5, to cover the STATE OF THE UNION and Democratic Response and the final days of the Senate impeachment trial; and New Hampshire on Thursday, Feb. 6, and Friday, Feb. 7, for ABC News' Democratic Debate; and Tuesday, Feb. 11, to cover the New Hampshire Primary.
In Total Viewers, "World News Tonight"'s victory represented its 4th straight year to lead the February sweep and marked its 14th consecutive sweep victory overall - since February 2017 and November 2016, respectively. In Adults 25-54, "World News Tonight" won back-to-back February sweeps for the first time in 12 years (since February 2007 and 2008) and has won in the key adult news demo for the 5th straight sweep overall (since February 2019).
"World News Tonight" outdelivered "NBC Nightly News" (8.005 million, 1.683 million and 1.156 million, respectively) by 1.195 million Total Viewers, 127,000 Adults 25-54 and 25,000 Adults 18-49. "World News Tonight" delivered its largest Total Viewer lead during a February sweep in 24 years and biggest during any sweep in nearly 24 years - since February 1996 and May 1996, respectively. In addition, the ABC evening newscast posted its biggest news demo victory during February in 13 years and its largest during any sweep in over 12 years - since February 2007 and July 2007, respectively.
"World News Tonight" improved on the previous sweep (November 2019) in Total Viewers (+251,000/+3% - 9.200 million vs. 8.949 million) and Adults 25-54 (+55,000/+3% - 1.810 million vs. 1.755 million), standing as the only evening newscast to grow in the key adult news demo.
"World News" beat CBS' "Evening News" (5.927 million, 1.124 million and 804,000, respectively) by 3.273 million Total Viewers, 686,000 Adults 25-54 and 377,000 Adults 18-49 during the February 2020 sweep, seeing its largest Total Viewer lead during any sweep in at least 28 years (since at least the November 1991 sweep during the start of Nielsen electronic database in the 1991-1992 season).
ABC "World News Tonight with David Muir" airs 6:30-7:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. Almin Karamehmedovic is the executive producer of the broadcast.
EVENING NEWS (February 2020 Sweep)
|
TOTAL VIEWERS |
ADULTS 25-54 |
ADULTS 18-49 |
HOUSEHOLDS |
||
|
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT |
9,200,000 |
1.5/8; 1,810,000 |
0.9/6; 1,181,000 |
6.1/13 |
|
|
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS |
8,005,000 |
1.4/7; 1,683,000 |
0.9/6; 1,156,000 |
5.1/11 |
|
|
CBS EVENING NEWS |
5,927,000 |
0.9/5; 1,124,000 |
0.6/4; 804,000 |
3.9/ 9 |
|
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49. Sweeps based on Live+7/Most Current: February 2020 Sweep (1/30 - 2/26/20), February 2019 Sweep (1/31 - 2/27/19) and November 2019 Sweep (10/31 - 11/27/19). Sweep periods (November, February, May and July). NOTE: Due to the digital transition, the 2009 February sweep was 3/5 - 4/1/09. Averages based on regular telecasts.
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