NBC's TONIGHT SHOW Wins Late-Night Ratings In Every Key Measure

By: Caryn Robbins Feb. 25, 2016

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has scored decisive victories for the late-night ratings week of Feb. 15-19, prevailing in every key measure - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers -- versus CBS's "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

For the week, Fallon beat Colbert in adult 18-49 rating by a +68% advantage (0.96 rating vs. a 0.57) and topped Kimmel by an +81% margin (with a 0.96 vs. 0.53). Note that Friday's Kimmel was an encore and Monday's telecast was excluded due to the Presidents Day holiday

Fallon delivered four-week highs with a week of "Tonight Show" telecasts from Los Angeles, generating his top 18-49 and total-viewer numbers since Jan. 18-22 (1.03 rating in 18-49, 3.705 million viewers overall for the week of high-rated Friday telecasts during Winter Storm Jonas). Week to week, Fallon was up +7% in 18-49 (0.96 vs. 0.90 for Feb. 8-12) and +3% in total viewers (3.509 million vs. 3.411 million).

At 12:35 a.m. ET for the week, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" delivered a +26% margin in 18-49 over CBS's "Late Late Show with James Corden" (0.44 vs. 0.35) and a +39% advantage over ABC's "Nightline" (0.50 vs. 0.36 in their 12:30-1 a.m. head-to-head half-hour).

Season to date, Fallon and Meyers have outdelivered their ABC and CBS time-period competition for 22 of 22 weeks in both adults 18-49 and total viewers.

WEEK 22

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m.
Tonight...0.96/5...3.509 million
Late Sh...0.57/3...2.744 million
Kimmel *...0.53/33...2.252 million

12:35-1:05 a.m.
Nightline *...0.36/2...1.494 million

12:35-1:35 a.m.
Seth Meyers *...0.44/3...1.504 million
Late Late Show *...0.35/3...1.405 million

1:35 a.m.-2:05 a.m.
Carson Daly *...0.26/2...0.840 million

* Friday's "Kimmel," "Late Night," "Late Late Show" and "Last Call" were encores. Monday's "Nightline" and "Kimmel" are excluded due to the Presidents Day holiday.

SEASON AVERAGES

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m.
Tonight...1.08/5...3.848 million
Late Sh...0.70/4...2.986 million
Kimmel...0.57/3...2.440 million

12:35-1:05 a.m.
Nightline...0.38/2...1.573 million

12:35-1:35 a.m.
Seth Meyers...0.50/3...1.638 million
Late Late Show...0.34/2...1.271 million

1:35 a.m.-2:05 a.m.
Carson Daly...0.29/2...0.911 million

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."

Image courtesy of NBC