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[02/27/14 - 12:40 PM]
L+3 Update: "Tonight Show" Generates Big Sampling During Jimmy Fallon's Post-Olympic Debut Week, Scoring "Tonight's" Most-Watched Week in 22 Years
NBC spins the late-night numbers for the week of February 17-21.

[via press release from NBC]

L+3 UPDATE: "TONIGHT SHOW" GENERATES BIG SAMPLING DURING JIMMY FALLON'S POST-OLYMPIC DEBUT WEEK, SCORING "TONIGHT'S" MOST-WATCHED WEEK IN 22 YEARS

Time-Shifted Viewing in Prelim 'Live Plus Three Day' Results Brings the Feb. 17-21 'Tonight'18-49 Rating Up to a 3.6 (+29% vs. 'Live Plus Same Day') While Total Viewers Rise to 10.4 Million (+23%)

Fallon Delivers the Youngest Median Age for Any Week This Season of 'Late Show,' 'Kimmel' or 'Tonight'

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Feb. 27, 2014 - The addition of time-shifted viewers has lifted the post-Olympic Feb. 17-21 premiere week of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to the biggest "Tonight Show" week in total viewers in nearly 22 years, dating back to Johnny Carson's last week on the show in May 1992.

In preliminary time period-based affiliate "live plus three day" results, the debut week of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" averaged a 3.6 rating in adults 18-49 and 10.418 million viewers overall. Those are increases versus initial "live plus same day" results of 29% in 18-49 rating (to a 3.6 from a 2.8) and 23% or 1.9 million persons in total viewers (10.418 million vs. 8.493 million).

The 10.418 million for Fallon's week of post-Olympic telecasts is "Tonight's" biggest weeklong audience in "live plus three day" results since before the era of DVR time-shifting. It was last topped during Johnny Carson's final week hosting "The Tonight Show" from May 18-22, 1992 (19.453 million). The 3.6 in 18-49 is "Tonight's" best week by that measure since May 11-15, 1998 (3.7 for the week of the "Seinfeld" finale).

It was also the youngest audience for any week this season of "Tonight," "Late Show with David Letterman" or "Jimmy Kimmel Live," with the median age of Fallon's audience last week coming in at 52.6. Current season-average median ages are: "Late Show," 58.7; "Kimmel," 54.2; and "Tonight," excluding last week's post-Olympic telecasts, 58.1.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to official national in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Feb. 17-21. Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date results are "most current" figures, 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 Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.8 rating, 13 share *
CBS "Late Show," 0.6/3 *
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/2 *
12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.4/2
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," preempted
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.3/2 *
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," preempted

TOTAL VIEWERS
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 8.5 million viewers *
CBS "Late Show," 2.7 million viewers *
ABC "Kimmel," 2.3 million viewers *
12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 1.3 million viewers
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," preempted
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.3 million viewers *
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," preempted

* "Tonight" started at midnight ET/PT Monday through Thursday and at 11:30 p.m. on Friday. Monday's CBS programs are excluded due to the Presidents Day holiday. Friday's "Kimmel" was an encore.

SEASON TO DATE

ADULTS 18-49
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.8 rating, 13 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," 0.7/4
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," 8.5 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 2.9 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 2.6 million viewers
12:35-1:05 a.m. ET
ABC "Nightline," 1.7 million viewers
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 2.2 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 FEB. 17-21

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATIN
Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. ET, "The Daily Show," 0.6 **
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.5 **
TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.4 **
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 0.9
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 0.6

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

TOTAL VIEWERS
Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. "The Daily Show," 1.3 million **
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 1.1 million **
TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.7 million **
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 1.9 million viewers
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.3 million viewers

** Monday's "Conan" and Comedy Central telecasts were encores.





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