ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Pulls in its Biggest Audience of the Season

Some early points on Jimmy Kimmel Live's weekly numbers, ahead of the regular press release:

During the week of October 31, 2011, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live grew over the prior week by 6% in Total Viewers and by 7% in Adults 18-49 to attract its biggest audience this season and deliver its best performance in Adults 18-49 since season premiere week - since the week of 9/19/11. JKL was also up over the same week last year by 9% in viewers and by 3% in young adults, marking its 6th time in the 7 weeks of the new season to grow over the year-ago week (11/1/10). In fact, JKL stood as the only late-night talk show to build its overall audience year to year.

· During the week, ABC's JKL stood as the #3 late-night talk show in Total Viewers, behind only NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CBS' Late Show with David Letterman. ABC's JKL (M-F 12am) drew a larger overall audience than both NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (M-F 12:35am) and CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (M-F 12:35am), leading both late-night programs by 7% in Total Viewers. In fact, JKL has topped Ferguson in viewers in all 7 weeks of the season.

· JKL's Tuesday telecast (11/1/11), which featured guests Adam Sandler, The Bangles and Dancing with the Stars cast-offs David Arquette and Kym Johnson, marked the ABC late-night program's most-watched telecast on any night in 3 months - since 8/1/11.

Ratings Report for ABC News' Nightline For Week of October 31

"Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Latenight Across All Key Target Demos

Season to Date for the Second Straight Year, "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Late-Night Among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49

For the week of October 31, 2011, ABC's "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in latenight across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.914 million), Adults 25-54 (1.591 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.252 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. The ABC latenight program has taken the top spot in Adults 25-54 in all 7 weeks of the season and in 6 of 7 weeks in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Nightline" was up week to week by 3% in Total Viewers, by 10% in Adults 25-54 and by 7% in Adults 18-49, turning in its 2nd-best numbers of the season in overall viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Nightline" led NBC's "The Tonight Show" by its largest margins of the season during a week of originals in all 3 target demos: Total Viewers (335,000), Adults 25-54 (244,000) and Adults 18-49 (211,000)

Season to date for the 2nd straight year, "Nightline" ranks No. 1 in late-night among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, ahead of both NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS' "The Late Show" ("Letterman" began on CBS in the 1993-94 season). Season to date, "Nightline" is up by +2% in Total Viewers compared to the same point last year, standing as the only program to grow year to year in Total Viewers versus "The Tonight Show" (-2%) and "The Late Show" (-9%).

ABC News' "Nightline" is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. John Donvan and Juju Chang are correspondents. Jeanmarie Condon is the Executive Producer. The program airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.

(Week of October 31, 2011)

TOTAL VIEWERS A25-54(000)/ Rtg A18-49(000)/ Rtg

ABC "Nightline" 3,914,000 1,591,000/ 1.3 1,252,000/ 1.0

CBS "Late Show" 3,537,000 1,543,000/ 1.3 1,195,000/ 0.9

NBC "Tonight Show" 3,579,000 1,347,000/ 1.1 1,041,000/ 0.8

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 10/24/11, 10/17/11 & 10/25/10. Most Current: 2011-2012 Season (9/19 - 10/30/11) and 2010-2011 Season (9/20 - 10/31/10).

Fringe Ratings Report: ABC Late-Night Programming Week of October 31, 2011

ABC Delivers its Most-Watched Week in Late-Night Since June

ABC's "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Late-Night Across All Key Target Demos

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Pulls in its Biggest Audience of the Season

ABC Late-Night (Monday - Friday)

With its late-night lineup of "Nightline" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" during the week of October 31, 2011, ABC grew week to week by 6% in Total Viewers (2.416 million vs. 2.286 million) and by 8% in Adults 18-49 (857,000 vs. 796,000), marking its most-watched week in nearly 5 months - since the week of 6/6/11.

ABC also saw increases over the same week last year (2.340 million and 852,000 on 11/1/10) in overall viewers (+3%) and young adults (+1%), standing as the only broadcaster to post year-to-year increases in both Nielsen measures (CBS was down -3%/up +4%, respectively; NBC was down -7%/-16%, respectively).

· ABC topped NBC in late-night by its largest margin during a week of originals in Total Viewers (+7% - 2.416 million vs. 2.257 million), and led NBC by 11% in Adults 18-49 (857,000 vs. 770,000), marking its 6th victory in 7 weeks over NBC.

"Nightline" (Monday - Friday)

For the week of October 31, 2011, ABC's "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in late-night across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.914 million), Adults 25-54 (1.591 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.252 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. The ABC late-night program has taken the top spot in Adults 25-54 in all 7 weeks of the season, and in 6 of 7 weeks in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Nightline" was up week to week by 3% in Total Viewers, by 10% in Adults 25-54 and by 7% in Adults 18-49, turning in its 2nd-best numbers of the season in overall viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Nightline" led NBC's "The Tonight Show" by its largest margins of the season during a week of originals in all 3 target demos: Total Viewers (335,000), Adults 25-54 (244,000) and Adults 18-49 (211,000)

Season to date for the 2nd straight year, "Nightline" ranks No. 1 in late-night among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, ahead of both NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS' "The Late Show" ("Letterman" began on CBS in the 1993-94 season). Season to date, "Nightline" is up by +2% in Total Viewers compared to the same point last year, standing as the only program to grow year to year in Total Viewers versus "The Tonight Show" (-2%) and "The Late Show" (-9%).

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Monday - Friday)

During the week of October 31, 2011, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" grew over the prior week by 6% in Total Viewers (1.872 million vs. 1.761 million) and by 7% in Adults 18-49 (714,000 vs. 667,000) to attract its biggest audience this season and deliver its best performance in Adults 18-49 since season premiere week - since the week of 9/19/11. "JKL" was also up over the same week last year (1.722 million and 695,000 on w/o 11/1/10) by 9% in viewers and by 3% in young adults, marking its 6th time in the 7 weeks of the new season to grow over the year-ago week. In fact, "JKL" delivered the largest year-to-year gains in viewers of any late-night talk show.

· During the week, ABC's "JKL" (1.872 million) stood as the No. 3 late-night talk show in Total Viewers, behind only NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (3.579 million) and CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" (3.537 million). ABC's "JKL" (M-F 12am) drew a larger overall audience than both NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (M-F 12:35am) and CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (M-F 12:35am), leading both late-night programs by 7% in Total Viewers (1.752 million and 1.748 million, respectively). In fact, "JKL" has topped "Ferguson" in viewers in all 7 weeks of the season.

· "JKL's" Tuesday telecast (11/1/11), which featured guests Adam Sandler, The Bangles and "Dancing with the Stars" cast-offs David Arquette and Kym Johnson, marked the ABC late-night program's most-watched telecast on any night in 3 months (2.192 million) - since 8/1/11. On that evening, "JKL" topped "Fallon" by 26% in Total Viewers (1.738 million) and "Ferguson" by a sizeable 52% (1.438 million).

Late-Night Rank (Week of Oct 31): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,416,000 857,000

CBS 2,583,000 944,000

NBC 2,257,000 770,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day National Program Ratings for week of 10/31/11, 10/24/11 & 11/1/10 or as dated. Most Current: 2011-2012 Season (9/19 - 11/6/11) and 2010-2011 Season (9/20 - 11/5/10). Comparisons based on 000s.

ABC Late-Night = "Nightline" and "JKL"; CBS Late-Night = "Letterman" and "Ferguson"; NBC Late-Night = "Tonight Show," "Fallon" and "Carson Daly."