Fallon's 'Tonight Show' Debuts to Strong Ratings

The debut of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has generated strong sampling at a special midnight start time following late local news and NBC's coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Fallon's "Tonight" debut last night averaged a 7.1 rating, 20 share in household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research. That made it:

Easily the #1 non-Olympic telecast versus all Primetime and late-night programming last night on ABC, CBS and FOX in metered-market households (#2 among non-Olympic programs was a 5.5/8 for ABC's "The Bachelor").

Higher-rated than all but two of last week's Primetime non-Olympic programs on ABC, CBS and FOX in metered-market households (for the week of Feb. 10-16, behind only Fox's Wednesday "American Idol" and CBS's Thursday "Big Bang Theory" encore, 7.4 each).
The night's dominant late-night telecast.

The top-rated late-night talk-show telecast ever for Jimmy Fallon.
Up 48% versus the 4.8/13 for the Friday, Feb. 7 finale of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," which aired at 12:05 a.m. ET following Primetime Olympics coverage) and was Fallon's previous high for a late-night talk show.
Tied for the second-highest "Tonight Show" overnights since Friday, May 29, 2009 (8.8/20, for Leno's last telecast before Conan O'Brien took over as host), trailing over that span only the Thursday, Feb. 6 finale of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (9.2/22) and tied with the June 1, 2009 "Tonight" debut for O'Brien (7.1/17).

Up versus "Tonight's" season-to-date average in the metered markets by +145% (7.1 vs. 2.9)

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, the premiere of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" also generated solid sampling, averaging a 3.4 rating, 17 share in adults 18-49. It's the top Local People Meter result ever for a Fallon-hosted last-night talk show (the prior high was a 2.3 on Jan. 22, 2010, the night of O'Brien's last original "Tonight").

The 3.4 rating in the Local People Meters is up 62% versus the 2.1/10 for the Friday, Feb. 7 finale of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,"airing at 12:05 a.m. ET following Primetime Olympics coverage

Detailed Results in Late-Night Metered Markets Monday night:

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 7.1 rating, 20 share frommidnight-1 a.m. ET; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.0/5, and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "Tonight," 3.4/17 at midnight; "Late Show," 0.5/2, and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/3.

From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.2/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.2/1 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

NOTE: All ratings are "live plus same day" from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

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