THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO Hits 15-Month High

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" delivered its highest overnight rating in 15 months Friday night while "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" generated its biggest metered-market household rating in nearly four years.

Leno scored a 3.9 rating, 9 share in metered-market households, "Tonight's" strongest results since Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, (the night of a guest appearance by President Barack Obama, 4.0/10). It was the highest Friday "Tonight" rating since July 27, 2012 (the night of the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, 4.0/13).

Fallon delivered a 2.2/7 in households, his highest rating for a Friday or any night of the week in the 56 markets metered by Nielsen since Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 (the night of the Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2.5/9).

Guests on "Tonight" Friday night included Tim Allen, animal expert Dave Salmoni and musical guest Sara Bareilles.

Guests on the Jan. 31 edition of "Late Night" included David Beckham, David Steinberg and musical guest Busta Rhymes with The Roots

Note that in national results for the prior week of Jan. 20-24:

Leno and Fallon scored their second-biggest weeklong 18-49 audiences this season (1.249 million and 824,000 respectively), excluding the week of a high-rated NFL overrun (see full press release below).

Fallon delivered his biggest weeklong overall audience (2.136 million) in four years.

Leno and Fallon were both up by double-digit percentages in every key ratings category versus the same week last year. "Tonight" was up 25% in viewers 18-49 and up 22% in total viewers, while "Late Night" was up 41% in 18-49 and up 41% in total viewers.

For the Jan. 20-24 week, Fallon outdelivered CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" in viewers 18-49, viewers 18-34 and all key adult-male demos, despite starting an hour later.

Full Friday Metered-Market Results:

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.9/9; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.5/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/3 with an encore.

From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.3/4 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, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (2.2/7 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.8/5 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2 with an encore).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.1/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.5/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

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