NEW YORK -- The following news release from WABC-TV details the station's performance in the February 2017 ratings period.
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WABC-TV IS MOST WATCHED IN NEW YORK AND THE NATION
#1 ON-AIR AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
NEW YORK, March 2nd, 2017 - WABC-TV is the most watched station in the market and the country, according to the February 2017 Nielsen audience measurement period. The flagship station captured a 3.5 rating/9 share in DMA Households, Monday-Sunday Sign-On to Sign-Off, in the country's most populous market. With each rating point representing 73,486 Tri-State area TV homes, ABC7 attracts a larger audience than any other television station in the nation. Channel 7's Sign-On to Sign-Off rating was 35% higher than that of its closest competitor, representing a wider margin of victory than it had last February. Its website, ABC7NY, ranked #1 in Page Views among local broadcast TV station websites, and Channel 7's website and mobile apps combined to reach a historic high with more than 6.5 million unique visitors during the month. ABC7 also leads the market in Facebook Likes, Twitter followers and Instagram followers.
WABC-TV's broadcast of "The Oscars" attracted more than 3.5 million local viewers, about 11% of the show's total national audience and the most watched telecast in the country. WABC-TV's local pre-Oscars special "Road to Gold," with host Sandy Kenyon, aired the night before the ceremony and won its time period in DMA Households while attracting 259,000 viewers throughout the Tri-State area.
WABC-TV's daily ratings success begins with the early morning news. The station's "Eyewitness News This Morning" with Lori Stokes, Ken Rosato, Bill Evans, and Heather O'Rourke, boasts the highest DMA Household ratings from 4:30-5:00am, nearly equal to the next two closest competitors combined. At both 5:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m., WABC-TV's "Eyewitness News" attracts at least as many DMA Households as its next two closest competitors combined. Channel 7 also wins both hours among Adults 25-54.
"Good Morning America" leads the ratings in the country's largest market from 7:00 a.m - 9:00 a.m. It holds a hefty 64% advantage over its closest competitor in DMA Households while also ranking #1 among Adults 25-54.
At 9:00 a.m., "LIVE with Kelly" is #1 among DMA Households. This longtime morning staple also attracts more Women 25-54 than any competing program. The show's annual post-Oscars telecast, live from Hollywood's Dolby Theater with guest co-host Ryan Seacrest, was again a big success with national deliveries 24% higher than normal and was the show's second-highest rated program of the season. "LIVE with Kelly" ranks #2 nationally despite airing in an earlier time period than most of its competitors. The program is produced by WABC-TV and syndicated nationally.
"Eyewitness News at Noon", with David Novarro, Shirleen Allicot and Bill Evans, ranks #1 in DMA Households with a 73% advantage, representing a much wider margin of victory than it had last February. The only one-hour midday local newscast in the market, it attracts more Women 25-54 than any other midday news. It also attracts more Adults 25-54 than the combined deliveries of its competitors.
ABC's "The View" continues to rank #1 in its time period among Households and Women 25-54. Now in its twentieth season, it also shows year-to-year growth in both areas. At 1:00 p.m., "The Chew" enjoys its "Eyewitness News" lead-in, winning its time period in DMA Households, Women 18-49 and Women 25-54. At 3:00 p.m., ABC veteran "General Hospital" also wins its time period among DMA Households, Women 18-49 and Women 25-54.
WABC-TV's "Eyewitness News First at 4," with Liz Cho, David Novarro, and Lee Goldberg, attracts twice as many DMA Households as its only local news competitor at 4:00 p.m. It also maintains a 60% advantage among Women 25-54 and a 75% advantage among Adults 25-54.
"Eyewitness News at 5:00" with Diana Williams, Sade Baderinwa and Lee Goldberg, maintains its customary #1 spot among DMA Households. It ties for the lead among Adults 25-54 while delivering more viewers than its local news competitors that air at 6:00 p.m.
The weekday edition of "Eyewitness News at 6:00" with Bill Ritter, Liz Cho, Lee Goldberg and Ryan Field, holds a 41% advantage in DMA Households and attracts 40% more Adults 25-54 than its closest competitor. This sweep marks the 156th consecutive ratings survey period that WABC-TV has finished an outright #1 in DMA Households among local M-F 6pm newscasts.
"Eyewitness News at 11:00," featuring Bill Ritter, Sade Baderinwa, Lee Goldberg and Ryan Field has increased viewership, ranking #1 in DMA Households during the week and maintaining a stellar 55% advantage over its next closest competitor among Adults 25-54.
"Eyewitness News" is equally strong on Saturdays and Sundays, where WABC-TV airs more local morning news than any of its competitors. "Eyewitness News This Morning" with Michelle Charlesworth, Rob Nelson, and Amy Freeze collectively ranks #1 among DMA Households and Adults 25-54. On weekend nights, "Eyewitness News at 11:00," featuring Joe Torres, Sandra Bookman, Laura Behnke, and Jeff Smith, is #1 among DMA Households and Adults 25-54. "Eyewitness News" was the first local 11:00 p.m. newscast to expand to a full hour on the weekends and consistently performs well in that extra time.
"World News Tonight with David Muir" leads its network news competitors handily in both DMA Households and Adults 25-54. In Late Night, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" continues to perform well and generate buzz, while long-running staple "Nightline" continues to deliver strong ratings at 12:30 a.m.
WABC-TV's syndicated programs "Rachael Ray", "Jeopardy," and "Wheel of Fortune" continue to win their time periods in DMA Households and most key demographics, including Adults and Women 25-54.
In Prime, WABC-TV boasts six of the top eleven regularly scheduled programs among Adults 25-54, including "How to Get Away with Murder," "Black-ish,", "Modern Family," "The Bachelor," and veteran "Grey's Anatomy."
Channel 7's Eyewitness News apps for iPhone and Android generate millions of monthly impressions. Including abc7ny.com, WABC-TV routinely sees about 33 million monthly page views across all its platforms. In February, ABC7's website and mobile apps reached a record 6.5 million monthly unique visitors. ABC7 also continues to maintain a strong presence among social media and is #1 among local broadcast stations in Facebook Likes, Twitter followers and Instagram followers. And the ABC app continues to grow, helping to deliver content to an increasing array of platforms and reach consumers wherever they might be.
WABC-TV, Channel 7, is the ABC, Inc. owned television station in New York City.
Source: Nielsen, Omniture, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.