TONIGHT SHOW Rumors Propel Leno & Fallon to Top of First Quarter

NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" have delivered #1 finishes for the first quarter of 2013 versus their ABC and CBS time-period competition in viewers 18-49 and total viewers.

"Tonight" and "Late Night" delivered bigger audiences than CBS's "Late Show" and "Late Late Show" respectively in all key ratings measures -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers -- and Jimmy also won his head-to-head half-hour versus ABC's "Nightline" in all of those key ratings categories.

For the first quarter of 2013, "Tonight" stretched its leads versus one year ago over CBS's "Late Show" in viewers 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 while Jimmy Fallon increased his advantages over "Late Late Show" in viewers 18-49 and 18-34.

"Tonight's" 17 percent advantage over "Late Show" is its biggest for a first quarter in three years and Jimmy Fallon's 30 percent margin over "Late Late Show" is "Late Night's" biggest for a first quarter in four years

Facing ABC's revamped lineup for 12 weeks of the quarter, Jay topped "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 18-49 viewers for 10 of 12 weeks in viewers 18-49 and 12 of 12 weeks in total viewers, while Jimmy Fallon out-delivered "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour during 12 of 12 weeks in 18-49 and 9 of 12 weeks in total viewers.

In viewers 18-49, "Tonight" established a margin over "Late Show" of 17 percent (1.018 million vs. 871,000), improving on last year's advantage of 4 percent. Jay also generated a 25-54 advantage for the first quarter of 10 percent (1.318 million vs. 1.199 million), up from the year-ago 4 percent, and stretched his 18-34 lead to 16 percent (323,000 vs. 278,000), up from last year's 13 percent. Jay's total-viewer margin for the quarter was 16 percent (3.562 million vs. 3.074 million), equaling his advantage for the first quarter of 2012.

Jimmy Fallon generated a 30 percent lead over "Late Late Show" for the first quarter in viewers 18-49 (684,000 vs. 525,000), up from 17 percent for the year-ago quarter; prevailed in viewers 18-34 by 64 percent (301,000 vs. 184,000), up from the year-ago 37 percent; and led in viewers 25-54 by a 15 percent advantage (789,000 vs. 686,000), up from last year's 13 percent.

Jimmy enjoyed a breakthrough quarter in adults 18-34, growing versus the year-ago first quarter by 17 percent (to 301,000 viewers vs. 258,000). It was his biggest quarterly audience of 18-34-year-olds in more than a year, since averaging a slightly higher 302,000 for the fourth quarter of 2011. In the 18-34 demo, Jimmy out-delivered CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" (301,000 vs. 278,000), despite Letterman's earlier start time.

The quarter ended with the week of March 25-29, during which Jay out-delivered "Late Show" and "Kimmel" in all key ratings categories and Jimmy Fallon also prevailed over "Late Late Show" and "Nightline" during their head-to-head half-hour in every key measure. For the week, "Tonight" delivered its biggest average audience (3.541 million) in eight weeks (since the week of January 28-February 1). Note that CBS excluded all Thursday and Friday telecasts last week due to basketball overruns and NBC excluded its Friday telecasts due to the Good Friday holiday. Also, Friday's "Kimmel" was an encore.

Jay has now delivered bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Show" for the last 19 weeks in a row and topped "Kimmel" for 10 of their 12 head-to-head weeks. In total viewers, Jay has out-delivered "Late Show" for 23 weeks in a row and "Kimmel" for 12 of 12 weeks.

Jimmy Fallon has now generated bigger 18-49 audiences than "Late Late Show" for 24 of the last 25 weeks and prevailed in total viewers for 21 of the last 23 weeks. Versus "Nightline" in their head-to-head half-hour, Jimmy has out-delivered the ABC series for 12 weeks in a row in viewers 18-49 and eight of the last nine weeks in total viewers.

To post a comment, you must register and login.