ABC's "Kimmel" Kicks Off the 2011-12 Season With its 2nd-Largest Premiere Week Audience Ever

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

During the week of September 19, 2011, premiere week of the 2011-12 season, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live attracted its biggest overall audience and highest Adult 18-49 number since early June - since the week of 6/6/11. Building over premiere week last year (w/o 9/20/10) by 8% in Total Viewers and by 5% in young adults, JKL drew its 2nd-largest premiere week audience ever, behind only the 2007-08 premiere week. In fact, JKL stood as the only late-night talk show (broadcast or cable) to grow over premiere week last year in Total Viewers or Adults 18-49.

· During premiere week of the 2011-12 season, 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) outdelivered the premiere week performance of NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (M-F 12:35am) by 8% in Total Viewers and by 11% in Adults 18-49. The ABC late-night program drew a larger overall audience than Fallon in all 4 original telecasts of the week and led the NBC late-night program by impressive double-digit margins in young adults on Monday (+36%), Wednesday (+17%) and Thursday (+36%).

· ABC's JKL outperformed CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (M-F 12:35am) by solid double-digit percentages in both Total Viewers (+21%) and Adults 18-49 (+27%), representing the 6th time in the last 7 years JKL bested CBS' late-night program during premiere week in the key young adult demo. The ABC late-night program led the CBS program in all 4 original telecasts of the week on both Nielsen measures, while JKL's repeat telecast on Friday topped Ferguson's original telecast in Total Viewers (+31%) and Adults 18-49 (+51%).

ABC NEWS Ratings Report for Week of September 19, 2011

ABC's "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Premiere Week Across All Target Demos

ABC's Latenight Program Ranks No. 1 for the First Time Ever During a Premiere Week in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49

Nightline is No. 1 in Total Viewers During an Opening Week For the First Time in 18 Years

For the week of September 19, 2011, the opening week of the 2011-12 season, ABC's "Nightline" won across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.850 million), Adults 25-54 (1.595 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.248 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. This stands as the first time ever for the ABC latenight program to rank No. 1 during a premiere week in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, topping both NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS' "The Late Show." Additionally, it marked the first time in 18 years and for only the second time ever that "Nightline" outdrew its latenight rivals in Total Viewers - since premiere week of the 1993-94 season, when "Letterman" began on CBS.

"Nightline" posted increases on its year-ago premiere week performance in Total Viewers (+7%) and Adults 25-54 (+2%), while both NBC's "The Tonight Show" (-4% and -10%, respectively) and CBS' "The Late Show" (-15% and -17%, respectively) saw decreases.

"Nightline" outperformed CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" by its largest advantages ever during the opening week of the season in both Adults 25-54 (+259,000) and Adults 18-49 (+199,000). Additionally, the ABC program scored its largest Total Viewer lead (+628,000) during over "The Late Show" during a premiere week in 13 years - since w/o 9/21/98.

For the 2nd time in the last 3 years, "Nightline" beat NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" during week 1 of the season across all key target demos: Total Viewers (+209,000), Adults 25-54 (+191,000) and Adults 18-49 (+183,000).

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 September 19, 2011)

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

ABC "Nightline" 3,850,000 1,595,000/ 1.3 1,248,000/ 1.0

CBS "Late Show" 3,222,000 1,336,000/ 1.1 1,049,000/ 0.8

NBC "Tonight Show" 3,641,000 1,404,000/ 1.2 1,065,000/ 0.8

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 09/19/11, 9/12/11 & 9/20/10.

Fringe Ratings Report: ABC Late-Night Programming Week of September 19, 2011

ABC Wins the Opening Week of the Season in Late-Night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 and is the Only Broadcast Net to Grow Over Premiere Week Last Year

ABC's "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Premiere Week Across All Target Demos, Marking a First Ever Premiere Week Victory in Key Adults

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Kicks Off the New Season With its 2nd-Largest Premiere Week Audience Ever

ABC's "JKL" Tops the Opening Week Performances of Both NBC's "Fallon" and CBS' "Ferguson" in Viewers and Adults 18-49

ABC Late-Night (Monday - Friday)

During the week of September 19, 2011, the opening week of the 2011-12 season, ABC drew its 2nd-biggest premiere week audience with its late-night lineup of "Nightline" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Standing as the only broadcast net to post gains over premiere week last year, ABC was up by 6% in Total Viewers (2.377 million vs. 2.248 million) and by 2% in Adults 18-49 (900,000 vs. 884,000), as NBC was down -5% and -17%, respectively, and CBS saw declines of -16% and -12%, respectively.

· For the first time ever during a premiere week, ABC stood as the No. 1 network in late-night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, topping both CBS (+3% and+11%, respectively) and NBC (+6% and +16%, respectively).

"Nightline" (Monday - Friday)

For the week of September 19, 2011, ABC's "Nightline" won across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.850 million), Adults 25-54 (1.595 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.248 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. This stands as the first time ever for the ABC late-night program to rank No. 1 during a premiere week in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, topping both NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS' "The Late Show." Additionally, it marked the first time in 18 years and only the second time ever that "Nightline" outdrew its late-night rivals in Total Viewers - since premiere week of the 1993-94 season, when "Letterman" began on CBS.

"Nightline" posted increases on its year-ago premiere week performance in Total Viewers (+7%) and Adults 25-54 (+2%), while both NBC's "The Tonight Show" (-4% and -10%, respectively) and CBS' "The Late Show" (-15% and -17%, respectively) saw decreases.

· "Nightline" outperformed CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" by its largest advantages ever during the opening week of the season in both Adults 25-54 (+259,000) and Adults 18-49 (+199,000). Additionally, the ABC program scored its largest Total Viewer lead (+628,000) over "The Late Show" during a premiere week in 13 years - since w/o 9/21/98.

· For the 2nd time in the last 3 years, "Nightline" beat NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" during week 1 of the season across all key target demos: Total Viewers (+209,000), Adults 25-54 (+191,000) and Adults 18-49 (+183,000).

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Monday - Friday)

During the week of September 19, 2011, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" attracted its biggest overall audience (1.822 million) and highest Adult 18-49 number (769,000) since early June - since the week of 6/6/11. Building over premiere week last year by 8% in Total Viewers and by 5% in young adults (1.686 million and 733,000 on w/o 9/20/10), "JKL" drew its 2nd-largest premiere week audience ever, behind only the 2007-08 premiere week. In fact, "JKL" stood as the only late-night talk show (broadcast or cable) to grow over premiere week last year in Total Viewers or Adults 18-49.

· During premiere week, ABC's "JKL" stood as the No. 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 "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (M-F 12:00 a.m.) outdelivered the premiere week performance of NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (M-F 12:35 a.m.) by 8% in Total Viewers (1.822 million vs. 1.688 million) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (769,000 vs. 695,000).

· ABC's "JKL" outperformed CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (M-F 12:35 a.m.) by solid double-digit percentages in both Total Viewers (+21% - 1.822 million vs. 1.507 million) and Adults 18-49 (+27% - 769,000 vs. 607,000), representing the 6th time in the last 7 years that "JKL" bested CBS' late-night program during premiere week in the key young adult demo. The ABC late-night program led the CBS program in all 4 original telecasts of the week on both Nielsen measures, while "JKL's" repeat telecast on Friday topped "Ferguson's" original telecast in Total Viewers (+31% - 1.774 million vs. 1.355 million) and Adults 18-49 (+51% - 752,000 vs. 499,000).

Late-Night Rank (Week of Sep 19): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,377,000 900,000

CBS 2,304,000 813,000

NBC 2,245,000 777,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day National Program Ratings for week of 9/19/11 & 9/20/10 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."