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Via NBC's Press Release
JAY LENO AND JIMMY FALLON HIT FIVE-MONTH HIGHS AS THEY SCORE #1 FINISHES FOR THE LATE-NIGHT WEEK OF JULY 23-27
FRIDAY’S TELECASTS, DELAYED BY THE OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY, GENERATE JAY’S BIGGEST 18-49 AUDIENCE SINCE SEPTEMBER 2010 AND JIMMY’S BIGGEST SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011, KEYING JAY AND JIMMY’S TOP WEEKS SINCE FEBRUARY 2012
SEASON TO DATE, JAY HAS STRETCHED HIS TOTAL-VIEWER LEAD OVER ‘LATE SHOW’ TO 20 PERCENT FROM THE YEAR-AGO 13 PERCENT; JIMMY FALLON HAS ALSO INCREASED HIS MARGIN OVER ‘LATE LATE SHOW’ TO 20 PERCENT, UP FROM LAST YEAR’S 5 PERCENT
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – August 2, 2012 – NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” have delivered their biggest adult 18-49 audiences in more than five months to top the ABC and CBS time-period competition in viewers 18-49, total viewers and other key categories for the week of July 23-27.
Friday’s telecasts of “Tonight” and “Late Night” were delayed by NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics, and that night’s telecast of “Tonight” averaged 2.150 million adults 18-49, Jay’s biggest 18-49 audience for any night of the week since Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010, the opening night of the 2010 NFL season. In total viewers, Jay’s 5.351 million was “Tonight’s” biggest audience since Wednesday, March 3, 2010, during the week of Jay’s return as host of “Tonight.” At 12:35 a.m. ET, Jimmy’s delayed Friday telecast averaged 1.175 million viewers 18-49, “Late Night’s” biggest 18-49 audience since Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, the opening night of the 2011 NFL season, and Friday’s 2.617 million viewers overall was Jimmy’s biggest overall audience since Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, the opening night of the Vancouver Olympics.
Boosted by those strong Friday results, Jay averaged 1.214 million adults 18-49 for the week, his biggest weekly 18-49 audience in 24 weeks, since the week of February 6-10. In total viewers, Jay’s 3.697 million viewers was “Tonight’s” biggest audience since the week of June 25-29. At 12:35 a.m. ET, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” averaged 710,000 adults 18-49, its biggest 18-49 audience in 23 weeks, since the week of February 13-17. It was also Jimmy’s biggest overall viewership (1.742 million) since February 13-17.
For the week, “Tonight” topped the time-period competition of CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" and ABC's combination of "Nightline" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 18-49 and total viewers and delivered bigger audiences than “Late Show” in every key ratings category: adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. At 12:35 a.m. ET, Jimmy Fallon also out-delivered CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” in each of those categories.
Through the first 45 weeks of the 2011-12 broadcast year, "Tonight" has increased its total-viewer margin over "Late Show" to 20 percent (3.672 million vs. 3.069 million), up from the year-ago season-to-date advantage of 13 percent. Jimmy Fallon has also established a total-viewer lead over "Late Late Show" this season of 20 percent (1.751 million vs. 1.463 million), up from last year's advantage of 5 percent. Jimmy has also increased his season-to-date lead over "Late Late Show" in adults 18-34, to 48 percent (273,000 vs. 185,000) up from last year's 28 percent, and in adults 25-54, to 15 percent (846,000 vs. 737,000) up from 7 percent at this point last season.
"Tonight" delivered a bigger 18-49 audience than "Late Show" for the 28th time in 32 weeks while Jimmy Fallon attracted a bigger 18-49 audience than "Late Late Show" for a 35th week in a row.
WEEKLY AVERAGES
(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of July 23-27. 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,” 0.5/2*
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC “Nightline,” 0.8/3
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC “Kimmel,” 0.5/2*
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC “Late Night,” 0.6/3*
CBS “Late Late Show,” 0.3/2
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC “Last Call,” 0.3/2 (in encore telecasts)*
TOTAL VIEWERS
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC “Tonight,” 3.7 million viewers*
CBS “Late Show,” 2.2 million viewers*
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC “Nightline,” 3.4 million viewers
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC “Kimmel,” 1.6 million viewers*
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC “Late Night,” 1.7 million viewers*
CBS “Late Late Show,” 1.0 million viewers
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC “Last Call,” 0.8 million viewers (in encore telecasts)*
* Friday’s “Tonight” and “Late Night” were delayed by NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics. Friday’s “Last Call” was preempted and Friday’s “Late Show” and “Kimmel” were encores.
SEASON TO DATE
ADULTS 18-49
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC “Tonight,” 0.8 rating, 3 share
CBS “Late Show,” 0.8/3
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC “Nightline,” 0.9/3
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC “Kimmel,” 0.5/2
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC “Late Night,” 0.6/3
CBS “Late Late Show,” 0.5/3
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,” 3.7 million viewers
CBS “Late Show,” 3.1 million viewers
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC “Nightline,” 3.8 million viewers
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC “Kimmel,” 1.8 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,” 0.9 million viewers
SELECTED CABLE RESULTS, WEEK OF JULY 23-27
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
TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, “Conan,” 0.4
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 1.28 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,” 0.9 million
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 2.3 million
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.3 million
###
Not really a fair week for comparisons, but, holy cow, was a disastrous week or Letterman especially in the demo.
My favorite saying: Figures don’t lie, but liars figure. I think Letterman’s nemesis, Bill O’Reilly on basic cable, had more total viewers than Dave on CBS.
TV-Boy (as Dave refers to himself) put himself out there by being such a partisan liberal-Democrat, has hurt him. I had stopped watching him a couple of years ago, but decided last month, to give his show another looks.
The WHOLE monologue and words at the desk, jokes and attacks on Sarah Palin, George W. and Mitt Romney. Bush has hardly been near anything political in four years. Palin’s not running for anything, yet he continues to attack Sarah and her family (especially Bristol and her teenaged sister). And, just like Oprah-Uma, Dave amuses himself by making fun of Mitt’s name (or nickname).
Time to get Ferguson moved up an hour and put Dave put away so that he can no longer can say that Willow Palin, 12 or 13 at the time, was at Yankee Stadium and was “knocked-up” by Alex Rodriguez.
Oh…look at the large-sized font in the NBC press release. The headline alone basically says that Jay and Jimmy scored by being high for five months. I thought that all agreed that the Font-size used above was being embargoed(sp?) until the End of the World?
Agreed, sadly, Ralph.
I know Dave is a legend, but I’m not sure why somebody just doesn’t sit him down and explain the real world. He probably doesn’t give a damn, but I think he’s so insulated in the Ed Sullivan Theatre…
The release above also, upon re-reading, shows just how Leno has fallen since his 2010 return.
A lead-in of 28 million viewers and 11 points of rating gave Jay his “amazing victory”.
Leno is da king again as he even beat Nightline!
Conan got a pathetic .4 despite all the crowing you CocoNUTS do about his god awful show! Letterman is bombing too!
A king with a .9. Woo Hoo!
Good for Fallon!!!!!!!!!!!!
11 point lead in for nearly 1 point? That’s pathetic. All Leno need was something simple like a law and Order episode to make these kinds of ratings. Not anymore. Leno and Letterman need to leave. I really hoping Jimmy Fallon gets to go to LA so he can come home to his wife now unlike how it is now with them on two separate coasts. (His wife is Drew Barrymore’s manager)
Does anyone believe Letterman should have moved to ABC back in 1996 and 2002 when he was getting offers from them?
Indeed Brad.
I can tell my kids someday that at one point The Tonight Show and Letterman were appointment television.
Now nobody seems to care a whit about either show.
Mario, in 2014 I can’t wait to hear your reaction when Leno stops hosting the Tonight Show and Conan is still on the air.
I wonder why Stewart and Colbert have had such a bad week this week? Only 1.2 – 1.3 million viewers for Daily Show.
The news cycle is dead. Nothing much happens during the middle of summer with many politicians on vacation. Talk is dead in Washington which is what much of late night monologues rely on but even more with dedicated political late night show Real Time, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. Many dont find the need to catch up on the news these days or have These hosts’ spin on it. Bill Maher was smart and took a month off to do stand up. (I miss him :[ )
Chris, a .9 is better than a .4!
Aaron, you underestimate Leno’s clout in Hollywood! He’ll stay on the air as long as he wants! He’s earned that with a stellar 20 year career in late night!
Care to place money on that Mario?
No, the numbers that Leno is putting up just aren’t sufficient for something like The Tonight Show. With these numbers, and his salary and production costs, the show has to be close to bleeding money.
And there’s the relevance factor. Jay Leno is just not relevant to today’s craved audiences. Take a look at his opening…the high fives. That group is even getting older.
I’ll give you a week to find an 18-25 who loves Jay Leno and finds him cool and a must watch. Same with Letterman. They’re gone.
The assumption is that Leno’s contract is up in 2014. They just won’t renew it…you’ll hear something next year, although NBC has no idea how to handle a transition.
Correct…it’s to the point where over 96% of the country is not watching either of these two…
NBC surely knows they can get better ratings and critical praise from somebody else.
CBS is just stuck for two years with Letterman.
The question to ask is “how much lower can these two go?”. I can’t believe how it is now. I mean, a 0.5, for a veteran, that’s just sad. Its cancelation numbers for anyone who wasnt Dave. I hope Letterman will go out with a bang, with some class, so we can all forgive his recent shows.
Did Arsenio Hall ever beat the Tonight Show with Jay Leno? How about when Johnny Carson was at the helm? Any info would be much appreciate.