ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Posts the Largest Yearly Increase of Any Late-Night Broadcast Program in Adults 18-49

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

During the President's Day holiday week, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live saw week-to-week increases in both Total Viewers (+6%) and Adults 18-49 (+12%). In addition, JKL was up in both Viewers (+14%) and young adults (+22%) over the same week last year (w/o 2/22/10), building its overall audience over the year-ago week for the 2nd week in a row. Impressively, JKL posted the largest yearly increase of any late-night broadcast program in the key young adult demo.

· JKL's Thursday telecast (2/24/11) drew the ABC late-night program's 2nd-largest young adult audience on the evening in 8 months - since 6/17/10. On that evening, JKL topped NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon by a solid 24% in Adults 18-49 and beat CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson by 20%. Further, on that Thursday airing, Kimmel drew 16% more overall viewers than NBC's Fallon and 3% more than CBS' Ferguson.

· ABC's JKL beat CBS' Ferguson by 14% in Adults 18-49, besting the CBS late-night program for the 8th time in the last 9 weeks in the key young adult demo.

Fringe Ratings Report: ABC Late-Night Programming Week of February 21, 2011

As the Only Broadcast Net to Build Week to Week in Both Viewers and Key Adults, ABC Wins the Week in Late-Night in Adults 18-49

ABC News' "Nightline" is No. 1 Among Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 for the Week

"Nightline" is No. 1 Among Adults 18-49 for 11th Time This Season, the Greatest Number of Weeks at No. 1 During the Course of a Season

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Delivers the Largest Year-to-Year Increases in Adults 18-49 of Any Broadcast Program in Late-Night

With Guests Owen Wilson, Kelly Ripa and Adele, "JKL's" Thursday Telecast Draws the Program's Largest Young Adult Audience on the Night Since June

"JKL" Tops CBS' "Ferguson" in Adults 18-49 for the 8th Time in 9 Weeks This Season

ABC Late-Night (Monday - Friday)

During the President's Day holiday week, ABC saw increases in late-night over the previous week (w/o 2/14/11) of 10% in Total Viewers (2.30 million vs. 2.09 million), 15% in Adults 18-49 (897,000 vs. 782,000) and 12% in Adults 25-54 (1.13 million vs. 1.01 million). In fact, ABC stood as the only broadcast network to build over the prior week in late-night in all three measures.

ABC was up by 17% over the same week last year (w/o 2/22/10) in Total Viewers (2.30 million vs. 1.97 million), by 17% in Adults 25-54 (897,000 vs. 766,000) and by 22% in Adults 25-54 (1.13 million vs. 927,000), scoring its 4th straight week of year-to-year increases in late night in viewers.

· ABC posted a first-place finish in late-night in Adults 18-49 (897,000), beating CBS by 6% (846,000) and NBC by 3% (873,000)

"Nightline" (Monday - Friday)

During the week of February 21, ABC News' "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in the final complete week of the February 2011 sweep in Total Viewers (3.75 million), Adults 25-54 (1.64 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.25 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. In fact, "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 for the 11th time during the season. This represents the greatest number of weeks at No. 1 in Adults 18-49 during the course of a season, beating both "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show."

Season to date, "Nightline" ranks in first place among Total Viewers and Adults 25-54. This is the first time that "Nightline" has been in first place at this point in the season since at least the 1993-94 season, when "Letterman" began on CBS. In addition, "Nightline" is up by +3% in Adults 25-54 season to date compared to the same point last year.

"Nightline" saw increases over the previous week and the year-ago week in Total Viewers (+5% and +15%, respectively), Adults 25-54 (+8% and +15%, respectively) and Adults 18-49 (+11% and +8%, respectively)

*Note: Due to the Presidents' Day Holiday, ABC's, CBS' and NBC's Monday telecasts were coded as specials and excluded from the weekly average.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Monday - Friday)

During the President's Day holiday week, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" saw week-to-week increases in both Total Viewers (+6% - 1.67 million vs. 1.57 million) and Adults 18-49 (+12% - 743,000 vs. 661,000). In addition, "JKL" was up in both viewers (+14% - 1.67 million vs. 1.46 million) and young adults (+22% - 743,000 vs. 608,000) over the same week last year (w/o 2/22/10), building its overall audience over the year-ago week for the 2nd week in a row. Impressively, "JKL" posted the largest yearly increase of any late-night broadcast program in the key young adult demo.

· "JKL's" Thursday telecast (2/24/11), which featured guests Owen Wilson, Kelly Ripa and Adele, drew the ABC late-night program's 2nd-largest young adult audience on the evening in over 8 months (904,000) - since 6/17/10. On that evening, "JKL" topped NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" by a solid 24% in Adults 18-49 (728,000) and beat CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" by 20% (756,000). Further, "Kimmel" drew 16% more overall viewers (1.88 million) than NBC's "Fallon" (1.62 million) and 3% more than CBS' "Ferguson" (1.83 million).

· During the week of February 21, ABC's "JKL" beat CBS' "Ferguson" by 14% in Adults 18-49 (743,000 vs. 650,000), besting the CBS late-night program for the 8th time in the last 9 weeks in the key young adult demo.

*Note: Due to the Presidents' Day Holiday, "JKL's" Monday telecast was coded as a special and excluded from the weekly average.

Late-Night Rank:

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

ABC 2,300,000 897,000 1,130,000

CBS 2,550,000 846,000 1,160,000

NBC 2,280,000 873,000 1,050,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day National Program Ratings for week of 2/21/11, or as dated. 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."

Ratings Report for ABC News' "Nightline" For the Week of February 21, 2011

"NIGHTLINE" IS #1 AMONG TOTAL VIEWERS, ADULTS 18-49 AND ADULTS 25-54 FOR THE WEEK

"NIGHTLINE" IS #1 AMONG A18-49 FOR 11TH TIME THIS SEASON, THE MOST NUMBER OF WEEKS AT #1 DURING THE COURSE OF A SEASON

"NIGHTLINE" IS #1 SEASON TO DATE AMONG ADULTS 25-54 AND TOTAL VIEWERS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1993

During the week of February 21, 2011, ABC News' "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in the final complete week of the February 2011 sweep in Total Viewers (3.75 million), Adults 25-54 (1.64 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.25 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. In fact, "Nightline" ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 for the 11th time during the season. This represents the most number of weeks at No. 1 in Adults 18-49 during the course of a season, beating both "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show."

Season to date, "Nightline" ranks in first place among Total Viewers and Adults 25-54. This is the first time that "Nightline" has been in first place at this point in the season since at least the 1993-94 season, when "Letterman" began on CBS. In addition, "Nightline" is up by +3% in Adults 25-54 season to date compared to the same point last year.

"Nightline" saw increases over the previous week and the year ago week in Total Viewers (+5% and +15%, respectively), Adults 25-54 (+8% and +15%, respectively) and Adults 18-49 (+11% and +8%, respectively)

ABC News' "Nightline" is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. John Donvan and Vicki Mabrey 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 February 21, 2011)

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

ABC "Nightline" 3,750,000 1,640,000/ 1.3 1,250,000/ 1.0

CBS "Late Show" 3,590,000 1,530,000/ 1.2 1,080,000/ 0.8

NBC "Tonight" 3,690,000 1,520,000/ 1.2 1,200,000/ 0.9

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 & Adults 18-49 Live+SD weeks of 2/21/11, 2/14/11 & 2/22/10. Live+7 (where available) & Live+SD for Season-to-date 10-11 vs. 09-10 (9/2/10-2/25/11 vs. 9/21/09-2/26/10).