ABC Information’ nightly newscast has made big strides in viewership because the Diane Sawyer period, therefore Muir’s latest promotion
ABC Information veteran George Stephanopoulos could also be upset to relinquish the throne for breaking information to night anchor David Muir, however even Stephanopoulos can’t deny the scores turnaround that Muir has supplied for ABC’s “World Information Tonight.”
Muir turned “World Information Tonight” anchor on Sept. 1, 2014. The season prior, when Diane Sawyer was nonetheless within the chair, the present trailed Brian Williams’ “NBC Nightly Information” by 1.2 million complete viewers per night, in response to Nielsen. Quick-forward to this present season, and Muir is presently main Lester Holt’s “NBC Nightly Information” by 1.6 million viewers per evening.
That’s not only a lead change, it’s a swing of two.8 million complete viewers. No surprise ABC Information simply tapped the 47-year-old Muir to go up its breaking information duties, effectively replacing 60-year-old Stephanopoulos in the role. (It helps that he has constantly ranked because the most-liked TV media personality, in response to Q Scores.)
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Presently, “World Information Tonight” is main its fifth season in a row by way of complete viewers, and is forward by the most important margin in 26 years. This system is No. 1 in the important thing information demographic of adults ages 25-54 for the second season in a row and holds the most important lead in that metric in 25 years.
Muir’s momentum isn’t a brand-new phenomenon, however it additionally doesn’t seem like slowing down. Final season, “World Information Tonight” was the No. 1 program on all of tv — in order that’s broadcast and cable — for 23 of the season’s 52 weeks.
All of the scores numbers on this story are in response to Nielsen’s Stay + Similar Day knowledge set. Leisure programming tends to depend on delayed (DVR, largely) viewing, however information (and sports activities) doesn’t.
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This season up to now, “World Information Tonight” is averaging 9.623 million complete viewers per evening. That’s the present’s largest viewership in 17 years.
Whereas Muir’s key-demo scores have decreased from the Sawyer period, he’s solely down 12% amongst adults 25-54 whereas Holt has dropped a considerable 33%. In order that’s fairly good for the best way TV is consumed — and fragmented — lately.
Muir’s present has been on the rise, however “Good Morning America,” which Stephanopoulos co-anchors with Robin Roberts, has sunk in scores in recent times. That’s extra of a product of the morning present atmosphere, nonetheless — particularly within the Trump period, when viewers have left broadcast tv for the surging cable information channels.
Because the 2013-14 season, which was Sawyer’s last because the anchor for “World Information Tonight,” each “GMA” and NBC’s “In the present day” present have seen their total audiences decline by greater than one-third and their demo audiences greater than halved. In each situations, “GMA’s” declines are just a few share factors worse than “In the present day’s.”
Lately, “Good Morning America” has usually drawn an even bigger complete viewers, whereas “In the present day” has led in the important thing scores demo.
