NBC Late Night Continues Year-to-Year Growth

By: Nov. 21, 2013
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NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" have delivered more year-to-year gains during the week of Nov. 11-15, boosting both shows to wins over their broadcast-network timeslot competition in every key ratings category.

Both "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night" defeated their CBS and ABC competition in adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

Season to date, "The Tonight Show" is off to its biggest start eight weeks into a new TV season in three years in 18-49 viewers and in five years in total viewers. "Late Night" is delivering its biggest 18-49 and total-viewer audiences eight weeks into the season in the five years Fallon has been hosting.

Versus the first eight weeks of the year-ago season, Leno is up 12% in 18-49 viewers (with 1.109 million vs. 990,000) and up 9% in total viewers (3.693 million vs. 3.375 million). Fallon is up 24% in 18-49 viewers (799,000 vs. 646,000) so far this season and up 19% in total viewers (1.928 million vs. 1.625 million).

At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" is also delivering sizable gains Versus the first eight weeks of last season, up 21% in 18-49 viewers (443,000 vs. 366,000) and up 13% in total viewers (989,000 vs. 874,000).

For the week of Nov. 11-15, Leno delivered his biggest overall audience (3.767 million) in six weeks (since the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 3.780 million) and second biggest in 14 weeks (since Aug. 5-9, 3.821 million).

Fallon generated his second-biggest overall audience (1.928 million) in nearly 11 months (since the week of Dec. 17-21, 2012; 2.029 million), trailing over that span only the show's 1.959 for the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

For the week, "Last Call" earned its second-biggest overall audience (1.074 million) in 14 months (since the week of Sept. 3-7, 2012; 1.102 million), trailing over that period only the 1.092 million earned one week earlier, Nov. 4-8, 2013.

"Tonight" has now delivered bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Show" for the last 52 weeks in a row and topped "Kimmel" for 41 of their 45 head-to-head weeks. In total viewers, Leno has out-delivered "Late Show" for 56 weeks in a row and "Kimmel" for 45 of 45 weeks.

Fallon has now generated bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Late Show" for 57 of the last 58 weeks and prevailed in total viewers for 54 of the last 56 weeks. Versus "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour, Fallon has out-delivered the ABC series for 45 of 45 weeks in viewers 18-49 and 40 of 42 weeks in total viewers.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Nov. 11-Nov. 15. Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day.")


ADULTS 18-49

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 0.8 rating, 4 share
CBS "Late Show," 0.6/3
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/3 *

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.4/2

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 0.6/3
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4/2

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3/2 *

TOTAL VIEWERS

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 2.9 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.5 million viewers *

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 1.5 million viewers

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.9 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.4 million viewers

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 1.1 million viewers *

* Friday's "Last Call" and "Kimmel" were encores.

SEASON TO DATE

ADULTS 18-49

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 0.9 rating, 4 share
CBS "Late Show," 0.6/3
ABC "Kimmel," 0.7/3

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.4/2

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 0.6/4
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4/2

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3/3

TOTAL VIEWERS

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.7 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 2.9 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.6 million viewers

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 1.7 million viewers

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.9 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.5 million viewers

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 1.0 million viewers

SELECTED CABLE RESULTS, WEEK OF NOV. 11-NOV. 15

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATING

Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. ET, "The Daily Show," 0.7
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.5

Comedy Central, midnight-12:30 a.m. ET, @Midnight 0.3

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.3

TBS, Midnight-12:30 a.m., "Pete Holmes," 0.2

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 0.9
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 0.6

Each adult 18-49 rating point equals 1.27 million viewers.

TOTAL VIEWERS

Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. "The Daily Show," 1.6 million
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 1.2 million

Comedy Central, midnight-12:30 a.m. ET, @Midnight 0.6 million

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.7 million

TBS, Midnight-12:30 a.m., "Pete Holmes," 0.3 million

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 1.9 million viewers
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.3 million viewers



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