ABC Scores 2nd-Most-Watched Week in Late-Night this Season

With its late-night lineup of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 11:35 p.m. and "Nightline" at 12:35 a.m. during the week of March 10, 2014, ABC was up for the 3rd straight week in Total Viewers (+2% - 2.443 million vs. 2.391 million) and Adults 18-49 (+4% - 832,000 vs. 802,000) to deliver its biggest audience in late-night in 15 weeks and to score a 16-week high among young adults - since the weeks of 11/25/13 and 11/18/13, respectively. In fact, this week marked ABC's 2nd-most-watched week in late-night this season. ABC was the only broadcaster to post week-to-week gains in either Total Viewers or Adults 18-49 (CBS was down -2%/-1%; NBC declined -6%/-2%).

ABC's late-night lineup increased over the year-ago week (1.822 million and 642,000 on w/o 3/11/13) for the 3rd consecutive week in Total Viewers and for the 2nd week in a row in Adults 18-49.

ABC was the No. 2 network in late-night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, behind only NBC. ABC delivered its closest finish yet with NBC since "Fallon" premiered 3 weeks ago, pacing less than 200,000 Total Viewers (2.443 million vs. 2.637 million) and less than 300,000 young adult viewers (832,000 vs. 1.093 million) from NBC.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (M-F 11:35 p.m.)

Broadcasting from Austin, Texas during the week of 3/10/14, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" posted its 3rd consecutive week of growth in Total Viewers (+3%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%) to deliver its strongest performance since mid-November - since the weeks of 11/25/13 and 11/18/13, respectively. Timed with the 28th annual South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Festival, the show's week-long trip to the Texas state capital marked "JKL's" 3rd-strongest week so far this season in both viewers (2.830 million) and young adults (967,000).

As the gap between ABC's "JKL" and NBC's "Fallon" continues to close, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" declined by another 2% week to week in Adults 18-49 (1.672 million vs. 1.707 million) and has dropped 53% from its premiere week just 3 weeks ago (3.554 million on w/o 2/17/14). In fact, "JKL" has now slashed its gaps with NBC's "Fallon" by three-quarters compared to the gaps during "Fallon's" first week in both Total Viewers (-77% - 1.430 million vs. 6.238 million) and Adults 18-49 (-75% - 705,000 vs. 2.848 million).

"JKL" posted gains over the same week last year (2.074 million and 734,000 on w/o 3/11/13) for the 3rd week in a row in Total Viewers and for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49.

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ranked as the week's No. 2 talk show in late-night on broadcast and cable among Total Viewers (2.830 million) and Adults 18-49 (967,000).

"JKL's" final telecast from Austin on Friday (3/14/14) delivered 3.457 million Total Viewers, marking the show's 3rd-most-watched telecast ever on any night in late-night, behind only the Matt Damon takeover episode (on 1/24/13) and February's return of "Scandal" Thursdays (on 2/27/14). Friday's show featured guests Willie Nelson, Lil Wayne and Los Lonely Boys.

"Nightline" (M-F 12:35 a.m.)

ABC News' "Nightline" drew 1.693 million Total Viewers, 694,000 Adults 25-54 and 571,000 Adults 18-49 for the week of March 10, 2014, according to Nielsen Media Research. For the 5th week running, "Nightline" outdelivered CBS' "The Late Late Show" in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+422,000), Adults 25-54 (+164,000) and Adults 18-49 (+143,000). Outperforming "The Late Late Show" by its largest Total Viewer lead of the season, "Nightline" beat the CBS program by its largest overall viewer advantage in 9 months - since w/o 6/10/13. In addition, "Nightline" delivered its biggest Adult 25-54 advantage since November and largest Adult 18-49 lead since October - since w/o 11/4/13 and w/o 10/14/13, respectively.

For the 3rd straight week, "Nightline" improved on the prior week's performance in Adults 18-49 (+3% - 555,000 on w/o 3/3/14) to earn its best Adult 18-49 performance since December - since w/o 12/16/13.

"Nightline" improved on its year-ago performance by double-digits for the 2nd week in a row in Total Viewers (+33%), Adults 25-54 (+21%) and Adults 18-49 (+29%) - 1.275 million, 572,000, and 442,000 respectively, on w/o 3/11/13.

Week to week, "Nightline" narrowed its margins with NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" by double-digits in Total Viewers (-32% - 243,000 vs. 355,000), Adults 25-54 (-24% - 253,000 vs. 331,000) and Adults 18-49 (-12% - 300,000 vs. 341,000) to post its closest finish yet versus the NBC program.

On Friday (3/14/14), "Nightline" claimed the No. 1 telecast of the week in Total Viewers (2.317 million), versus the week's telecasts of CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Head-to-head, "Nightline" outperformed "Late Night" (1.802 million) on the night by 515,000 Total Viewers, beating the NBC program by its largest overall viewer lead yet. Further, "Nightline's" Friday telecast also stands as the show's most-watched ever since moving to its new time period in January 2013.

Late-Night (Week of March 10): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,443,000 832,000

CBS 2,031,000 567,000

NBC 2,637,000 1,093,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day National Program Ratings for weeks of 3/10/14, 3/3/14 & 3/11/13 or as dated.