NBC Late Night Continues Year-to-Year Gains

NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" have delivered more year-to-year gains during the third week of the new television season, boosting both shows to wins over their broadcast timeslot competition for the week of Oct. 7-11.

Leno is off to his biggest opening three weeks to a new TV season in three years in 18-49 viewers and total viewers. Fallon is at a three-year high in 18-49 and has generated his biggest overall audience three weeks into a new season in the five years he's been hosting "Late Night."

Versus the first three weeks of the year-ago season, Leno is up 20% in 18-49 viewers (with 1.144 million vs. 951,000) and up 11% in total viewers (3.686 million vs. 3.316 million).

Fallon is up 30% in 18-49 viewers (776,000 vs. 599,000) so far this season and up 18% in total viewers (1.848 million vs. 1.568 million).

At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" is also delivering sizable gains Versus the first three weeks of last season, up 26% in 18-49 viewers (435,000 vs. 345,000) and up 12% in total viewers (966,000 vs. 864,000).

For the week of Oct. 7-11, "Tonight" delivered bigger audiences than CBS's "Late Late Show with David Letterman" in all key ratings categories and topped ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, total viewers and all key adult-male demos. "Late Night" topped CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and, during their head-to-head half-hour, ABC's "Nightline" in all key categories.

Fallon generated his second-biggest 18-49 weekly audience in more than nine months (758,000, best since premiere week's 764,000, and excluding that, best since 776,000 for Dec. 17-21). It was also "Late Night's" second biggest overall audience in more than eight months (1.827 million, biggest since premiere week's 1.836 million, and excluding that, since 1.832 million for Jan.28-Feb.1).

"Tonight" has now delivered bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Show" for the last 47 weeks in a row and topped "Kimmel" for 37 of their 40 head-to-head weeks. In total viewers, Leno has out-delivered "Late Show" for 51 weeks in a row and "Kimmel" for 40 of 40 weeks.

Fallon has now generated bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Late Show" for 52 of the last 53 weeks and prevailed in total viewers for 49 of the last 51 weeks. Versus "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour, Fallon has out-delivered the ABC series for 40 of 40 weeks in viewers 18-49 and 35 of 37 weeks in total viewers.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Oct. 7-11. 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," 0.9 rating, 4 share
CBS "Late Show," 0.6/3
ABC "Kimmel," 0.8/3 *

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.5/3

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," 0.3/2 *

TOTAL VIEWERS

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.5 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 2.8 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.8 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," 1.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.4 million viewers

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.9 million viewers *

* "Last Call" was in rebroadcast last week and Friday's "Kimmel" was an encore.

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," 3.0 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.6 million viewers

12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 1.6 million viewers

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.8 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 OCT. 4-11

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," 0.6

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," pre-empted by baseball

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," 1.7 million
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 1.4 million

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," pre-empted by baseball

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 1.7 million viewers
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.2 million viewers

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