ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Scores Its Two Largest Sweep Audiences Back to Back

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

During its first sweep in its new 11:35pm time slot, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live attracted its biggest ever audience for any sweep period during the February 2013 sweep. In fact, February 2013 and November 2012 marked JKL's Top 2 most-watched sweeps ever. Growing over November by 21% in Total Viewers, JKL grew its overall audience for the 6th straight sweep. In addition, JKL grew 21% in Adults 18-49 over the prior sweep to its top-rated sweep period in 6 years - since February 2007.

JKL posted gains over the year-ago February sweep of 48% in Total Viewers and 33% in Adults 18-49.

· ABC's JKL stood just 108,000 Adult 18-49 viewers from NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, marking its closest finish ever during any sweep period. JKL slashed more than three-quarters of its young adult gap with the NBC program versus its gap during the year-ago February sweep (-78%).

· ABC's JKL ran neck-and-neck with CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman in Adults 18-49, as only 28,000 young adult viewers separated the two programs. JKL virtually eliminated all of its young adult gap with Letterman during February 2013 (-94%), as nearly 500,000 Adult 18-49 viewers stood between the two late-night programs during the February 2012 sweep. JKL beat Letterman by 7% in Adults 18-34 during the sweep.

· During the month of February, the 8th annual broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars (on 2/24/13) marked the show's most-watched post-Oscars(R) telecast ever and drew its 2nd-largest audience ever (behind only a post-Super Bowl airing on 2/5/06).