RATINGS: THE DAILY SHOW Drives Historic Quarterly Ratings Gains for Comedy Central

By: Apr. 02, 2019
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RATINGS: THE DAILY SHOW Drives Historic Quarterly Ratings Gains for Comedy Central

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah recorded historic growth among men 18-34 for the first quarter of 2019, averaging a .39 rating, which is a +13% increase from the previous quarter. The growth represents the largest jump in the history of the Comedy Central series under Noah. THE DAILY SHOW finished the quarter in a tie for the #1 ranking across all of TV among men 18-34 in the late night talk show category. For the quarter, the series averaged a .53 rating among P18-49, a +4% increase from the previous quarter.

With 700 million cross-platform video views in the first quarter (+17% vs. last quarter and +58% from the previous year), THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH continued its digital and social tear as the most engaging social series across all of late night TV (ListenFirst 1/1/19 to 3/31/19). The weekly average of 56 million video views across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, led by the Emmy Award-winning Between the Scenes, was the series' largest ever.

"The Daily Show is more culturally relevant than ever," said Kent Alterman, President of Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land. "Led by Trevor's brilliance, wit and his ability to pierce through the cultural conversation, the entire Daily Show team is making the show a true multi-platform success. Across all touch points, it's a destination for a new generation of Daily Show fans."

Beyond its linear, digital and social success, recent accolades include winning an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series" this past weekend, receiving the Spirit of SXSW 2019 award for THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH Presents: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library, and earning eight nominations for the 11th Annual Shorty Awards, honoring the best in social media.

In addition to strong late night performance, Comedy Central's primetime originals helped the brand record its best quarter since 2016 with P18-34 (.21 rating) and P18-49 (.19 rating). In primetime, Comedy Central is the fastest growing network in the Top 20 with P18-34, averaging a .30 rating for the quarter (+5%).

Drunk History averaged a .61 P18-49 rating for the quarter, up +11% compared to last season and the show's best since 2015 (season three). It was the show's best performance with W18-49 (.60 rating; +12% vs prior season) since 2014 (season two).

Additional brand demo highlights include:

Comedy Central is one of only three networks in the top 30 posting year-over-year growth in the P18-49 demo (+2%).

Primetime original premieres were up +7% among P18-49, with a +16% increase among W18-49, compared to the same quarter last year.

Comedy Central is a top five network among P18-34 and M18-34. It's the only top 10 network that is growing its M18-34 audience.

Looking ahead, Comedy Central has a stacked slate that will feature new and returning series including: docu-series Klepper; one-hour special Desi Lydic: Abroad; scripted comedy South Side; sketch-comedy series Alternatino with Arturo Castro; stand-up series The New Negroes; Tosh.0; and The Jim Jefferies Show.

Comedy Central recorded 1.4 billion total social streams in the quarter, up +12% from the previous quarter and up +10% from the same quarter a year ago. In March, Comedy Central expanded its digital footprint and deepened its engagement with fans with its latest launch - the Comedy Central Originals Youtube channel - a one-stop shop for the very best digital original comedy. The brand also launched Youtube channels for THE JIM JEFFERIES SHOW and Key & Peele. Collectively, the new Youtube channels have already generated 70 million views.

Comedy Central gives audiences access to a world of super funny, personally relatable, culturally relevant, and provocative comedy that tells the funny truths of life, every day and everywhere. From award-winning late-night, scripted and animated series to stand-up specials, short-form and sketch, Comedy Central has it all. A subsidiary of Viacom Inc., Comedy Central is available to more than 300 million households in over 150 countries across the globe.



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