ABC's JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE Scores Biggest-Ever 1st Quarter Audience

By: Apr. 02, 2015
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With its late-night lineup of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 11:35 p.m. and "Nightline" at 12:35 a.m. during the 1st quarter of 2015, ABC was up from the year-ago quarter by 3% in Total Viewers (2.399 million vs. 2.322 million) to draw its largest 1Q audience in 12 years - since 2002.

For the 2nd consecutive quarter, ABC was the No. 1 network in late-night in Total Viewers (2.399 million), outdrawing NBC by 5% (2.281 million) and CBS by 17% (2.045 million).

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

During the 1st quarter of 2015, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" scored its most-watched 1Q ever (2.744 million), growing its overall audience from the year-ago 1st quarter (+5% - vs. 2.606 million for 1Q14) for the 4th time in 5 years. In addition, 1Q 2015 marked "Kimmel's" 2nd-most-watched quarter ever, behind only the prior 4Q 2014.

During the quarter, "Kimmel" delivered 3 of its 10 largest-ever weekly audiences (week of 3/9/15 - No. 5, week of 1/26/15 - No. 7 and week of 3/16/15 - No. 8) and posted 2 of its Top 5 most-watched single-day telecasts ever in late-night (Thurs, 3/12/15 - No. 4 and Mon, 2/23/15 - No. 5).

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" finished the quarter as the No. 2 broadcast talk show in late-night among Adults 18-49, behind only NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." In addition, "Kimmel" outperformed CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" on all 13 weeks of the quarter in the key young adult demo.

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

ABC's "Nightline" ranked No. 1 during the 1st quarter 2015 in both Total Viewers (1.710 million) and Adults 25-54 (697,000-tie) versus its NBC and CBS competition. "Nightline's" Adult 25-54 performance represented its first-ever No. 1 finish in the key adults news demo since moving to its new time slot. In addition, its Total Viewer victory marked its first-ever 1st quarter win in its new time period and its 3rd win in the last 4 quarters.

"Nightline" beat CBS' average (1.304 million, 508,000 and 391,000, respectively) of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson"/"The Late Late Show"/"The Talk - After Dark"/"The Late Late Show with James Corden" in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+406,000), Adults 25-54 (+189,000) and Adults 18-49 (+141,000), leading CBS by its largest-ever quarter margins in its new time slot. Further, "Nightline" has beaten CBS in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo in all 9 quarters that it has aired in its new time period.

"Nightline" was up over the previous quarter (686,000 and 518,000 for 4Q14) in Adults 25-54 (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+3%) to post its strongest quarter numbers in both measures in 5 quarters - since 4Q13.

"Nightline" improved on its year-ago quarter performance (1.661 million, 684,000 and 521,000 for 1Q14) in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+3%), Adults 25-54 (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+2%), seeing its best-ever 1st quarter numbers in its new time period in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Further, "Nightline" delivered ABC's largest overall audience in the time period during a 1st quarter in 12 years - since 1Q03.

Late-Night (1Q 2015): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,399,000 708,000

CBS 2,045,000 526,000

NBC 2,281,000 852,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Most Current National Program Ratings for 1Q15 (12/29/14-3/29/15) and Live + 7 Day Program Ratings for 1Q14 (12/30/13-3/30/14). "Nightline" premiered in its new time period in January 2013.


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