NBC Late Night Outperforms in Timeslot Competition

Encore telecasts of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" delivered decisive wins during the late-night ratings week of Dec. 2-6 over their respective broadcast timeslot competition.

Leno's 3.400 million viewers overall is his best for a week of rebroadcasts since Aug. 22-26, 2011. Fallon's 1.710 million viewers overall last week is his best for a full week of encores since Dec. 12-16, 2011. In viewers 18-49, "Tonight's" 1.040 million 18-49 viewers is its best for a week of all rebroadcasts since Aug. 22-26, 2011. "Late Night's" 642,000 viewers 18-49 is its best for a full week of encores since April 15-19, 2013.

Leno's week of encores topped ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which aired originals from Monday through Thursday, in viewers 18-49, total viewers and other key measures.

Fallon's week of rebroadcasts beat originals of CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," as well as ABC's first-run "Nightline" in their 12:30-1 a.m. ET head-to-head half-hour, in viewers 18-49, total viewers and other key categories.

Season to date, "Tonight" is off to its biggest start 11 weeks into a new TV season in three years in 18-49 viewers and in five years in total viewers. Fallon is delivering his biggest 18-49 and total-viewer audiences 11 weeks into the season in the five years he's been hosting "Late Night."

Versus the first 11 weeks of the year-ago season, Leno is up 10% in 18-49 viewers (with 1.133 million vs. 1.030 million) and up 10% in total viewers (3.806 million vs. 3.469 million). Fallon is up 21% in 18-49 viewers (804,000 vs. 665,000) so far this season and up 18% in total viewers (1.958 million vs. 1.665 million).

At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" is also delivering sizable gains versus the first 11 weeks of last season, up 19% in 18-49 viewers (440,000 vs. 369,000) and up 11% in total viewers (978,000 vs. 882,000).

"Tonight" has now delivered bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Show" for the last 55 weeks in a row and topped "Kimmel" for 44 of their 48 head-to-head weeks. In total viewers, Leno has out-delivered "Late Show" for 59 weeks in a row and "Kimmel" for 48 of 48 weeks.

Fallon has now generated bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Late Show" for 60 of the last 61 weeks and prevailed in total viewers for 57 of the last 59 weeks. Versus "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour, Fallon has outdelivered the ABC series for 48 of 48 weeks in viewers 18-49 and 43 of 45 weeks in total viewers.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Dec. 2-6. 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, 3 share (encore telecasts)
CBS "Late Show," 0.6/2 (encore telecasts)
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," 0.5/3 (encore telecasts)
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4/2

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3/2 (encore telecasts)

TOTAL VIEWERS

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.4 million viewers (encore telecasts)
CBS "Late Show," 2.7 million viewers (encore telecasts)
ABC "Kimmel," 2.7 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," 1.7 million viewers (encore telecasts)
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.4 million viewers

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.9 million viewers (encore telecasts)

* Friday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" 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," 3.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 3.0 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.7 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," 2.0 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 DEC. 2-6

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATING

Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. ET, "The Daily Show," 0.6
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.5

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

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 0.9
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 0.5

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

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

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 1.8 million viewers
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.2 million viewers

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