LENO, FALLON Off to Strong 2-Week Gains

NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" have delivered hefty year-to-year gains during the second week of the new television season, giving them convincing wins over broadcast timeslot competition.

Leno is off to his biggest opening two weeks into a new TV season in three years in 18-49 viewers and total viewers. Fallon has generated his biggest overall audience two weeks into a new season in the five years he's been hosting "Late Night."

Versus the first two weeks of the year-ago season, Leno is up 29% in 18-49 viewers (with 1.168 million vs. 902,000) and up 15% in total viewers (3.728 million vs. 3.232 million).

Fallon is up 30% in 18-49 viewers (740,000 vs. 569,000) so far this season and up 17% in total viewers (1.790 million vs. 1.527 million).

At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" is also delivering sizable gains Versus the first two weeks of last season, up 26% in 18-49 viewers (443,000 vs. 352,000) and up 12% in total viewers (995,000 vs. 886,000).

For the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 4, "The Tonight Show" delivered bigger audiences than CBS's "Late Late Show with David Letterman" in all key ratings categories and topped ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in adults and men 18-34; adults, men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54, as well as total viewers. "Late Night" topped CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and, during their head-to-head half-hour, ABC's "Nightline" in all key categories.

Despite later start times, Fallon out-delivered Letterman and Kimmel for the week in 18-34 viewers (with 316,000 vs. 216,000 for Letterman and 309,000 for Kimmel) and "Last Call" generated more 18-34 viewers than Ferguson (with 193,000 vs. 156,000).

"The Tonight Show" has now delivered bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Show" for the last 46 weeks in a row and topped "Kimmel" for 36 of their 39 head-to-head weeks. In total viewers, Leno has out-delivered "Late Show" for 50 weeks in a row and "Kimmel" for 39 of 39 weeks.

Fallon has now generated bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Late Show" for 51 of the last 52 weeks and prevailed in total viewers for 48 of the last 50 weeks. Versus "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour, Fallon has out-delivered the ABC series for 39 of 39 weeks in viewers 18-49 and 34 of 36 weeks in total viewers.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 4. 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," 0.6/3
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," 0.6/3
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4/2

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," 3.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 3.1 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.5 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
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.5 million viewers

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 1.0 million viewers *

* "Last Call" was in rebroadcast last week and Friday's "Kimmel" 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," 0.6/3
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," 3.7 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 3.1 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.5 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," 1.8 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 SEPT. 30-OCT. 4

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATING

Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. ET, "The Daily Show," 0.8
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.6

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.2 **

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 0.9
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 0.7

Each adult 18-49 rating point equals 1.27 million viewers.

TOTAL VIEWERS

Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. "The Daily Show," 1.8 million
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 1.5 million

TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.4 million viewers **

Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 1.9 million viewers
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.4 million viewers

** Delayed by baseball overruns and excluded from season averages.

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