"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has dominated week two of the 2014-15 television season with a +22% gain over "Tonight's" year-ago week in adults 18-49, for the show's highest week-two rating in five years.
Fallon's 1.09 rating for the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 3 convincingly beat the time-slot competition, delivering a +49% margin over ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (0.73) and a +110% advantage over CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" (0.52). In total viewers, Fallon's average 3.894 million persons gave him margins of +41% over "Kimmel" (2.767 million) and +48% over "Late Show" (2.623 million). Note that CBS's Thursday shows were delayed last week by a high-rated NFL overrun. Friday's "Kimmel," "Late Night" and "Last Call" were encores. Versus last year's week two, "The Tonight Show" grew by +22% in 18-49 rating (to a 1.09 from a 0.89) and by +3% in total viewers (3.894 million vs. 3.780 million). It's "Tonight's" top week-two result in 18-49 since a 1.09 in 2009 and most-watched week two for "Tonight" in six years, since averaging 4.652 million in 2008. "Late Night with Seth Meyers" tied CBS's "Letterman" last week in adults 18-49 (0.52 rating each), despite starting an hour later and despite CBS's Thursday boost from primetime NFL football. In the 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET hour, Meyers delivered bigger audiences than CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in every key measure -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. Meyers also prevailed versus ABC's "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour from 12:30-1 a.m. in every key category.Videos