ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Closes 2012-13 with Its Three Biggest-Ever Sweep Audiences

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

During the recently completed 2013 May sweep, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live pulled in its 2nd-largest overall audience for any sweep period, behind only the 2013 February sweep. In fact, JKL has attracted its three biggest sweep audiences ever during the 2012-2013 broadcast season (February '13, May '13 and November '12, respectively). In addition, building over the year-ago May sweep for the 4th year in a row in Total Viewers (+31%), JKL delivered its most-watched May ever. JKL also grew over May '12 by 19% in Adults 18-49 to its strongest May sweep in 6 years - since May 2007.

· ABC's JKL outperformed CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman in Adults 18-49 for the first time ever during any sweep period, holding an 8% lead over the CBS program. In Total Viewers, JKL paced within 300k viewers from Letterman, slashing three-quarters of its gap with the Letterman versus its gap during the year-ago May sweep (-75%), as more than 1 million viewers separated the two programs last year. In addition, after marking its closest finish ever with Letterman in February '13 (-789k viewers), JKL further narrowed the gap with the CBS talk show in May '13 (-306k viewers). For the 2nd straight sweep, JKL beat Letterman in Adults 18-34, increasing its advantage over the CBS late-night program to 15% in May (versus +9% in February).

For the complete 2012-13 broadcast season, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live marked its most-watched season ever, surpassing its previous high by 29% in Total Viewers.

Fringe Ratings Report: ABC Late-Night Programming 2013 May Sweep / 2012-13 Broadcast Season

ABC is Late-Night's No. 1 Network in Total Viewers for the 2013 May Sweep

ABC Wins the 2012-13 Season in Late-Night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, With More Weekly Victories than Either CBS or NBC

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Closes 2012-13 with its Three Biggest-Ever Sweeps

2012-13 Season Finishes as "JKL's" Most-Watched Season Ever

"Nightline" Improves ABC's Performance in Total Viewers Versus May 2012 and Draws its Largest May Sweep Audience in 11 Years

ABC Late-Night (Monday - Friday)

With its late-night lineup of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 11:35 p.m. and "Nightline" at 12:35 a.m., ABC ranked as the most-watched network in late-night during the 2013 May sweep (2.238 million). In fact, ABC has won 2 of the 3 sweep periods of the 2012-13 broadcast season in Total Viewers (May '13 and November '12).

· ABC outperformed CBS in two sweeps of 2012-13 in Total Viewers (May '13 and November '12) and in each of the three sweeps of the season in Adults 18-49. ABC beat CBS in late-night during the May sweep by 7% in Viewers (2.238 million vs. 2.094 million), and scored its largest advantage of the season over CBS with young adults (+18% - 750,000 vs. 636,000).

· ABC drew a larger overall audience in late-night than NBC (2.238 million vs. 2.223 million) in all 3 sweeps of the 2012-13 season.

For the complete 2012-13 broadcast season, ABC was the No. 1 network in late-night in Total Viewers for the 2nd season in a row (2.370 million) and in Adults 18-49 (784,000), beating CBS (2.269 million and 711,000) and NBC (2.199 million and 742,000).

· ABC won 21 of the 35 weeks of the season in Total Viewers (versus 8 for CBS and 6 for NBC) and 25 weeks among Adults 18-49 (versus 3 for CBS and 7 for NBC), more than doubling the combined wins of NBC and CBS with young adults.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (M-F 11:35 p.m.)

During the recently completed 2013 May sweep, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" pulled in its 2nd-largest overall audience for any sweep period (2.505 million), behind only the 2013 February sweep. In fact, "JKL" has attracted its three biggest sweep audiences ever during the 2012-13 broadcast season (February '13, May '13 and November '12, respectively). In addition, building over the year-ago May sweep for the 4th year in a row in Total Viewers (+31% - 2.505 million vs. 1.916 million), "JKL" delivered its most-watched May ever. "JKL" also grew over May '12 by 19% in Adults 18-49 (843,000 vs. 710,000) to its strongest May sweep in 6 years - since May 2007.

· ABC's "JKL" outperformed CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman" in Adults 18-49 for the first time ever during any sweep period, holding an 8% lead over the CBS program (843,000 vs. 783,000).

· In Total Viewers, "JKL" paced within 300,000 viewers from "Letterman" (2.505 million vs. 2.811 million), slashing three-quarters of its gap with "Letterman" versus its gap during the year-ago May sweep (-75%), as more than 1 million viewers separated the two programs last year. In addition, after marking its closest finish ever with "Letterman" in February '13 (-789,000 viewers), "JKL" further narrowed the gap with the CBS talk show in May '13 (-306,000 viewers).

· For the 2nd straight sweep, "JKL" beat "Letterman" in Adults 18-34, increasing its advantage over the CBS late-night program to 15% in May (280,000 vs. 244,000) from 9% in February.

For the complete 2012-13 broadcast season, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" marked its most-watched season ever (2.323 million), surpassing its previous high by 29% in Total Viewers (1.797 million).

"Nightline" (M-F 12:35 a.m.)

During the May 2013 Sweep, ABC News' "Nightline" attracted 1.664 million Total Viewers, 708,000 Adults 25-54 and 550,000 Adults 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research. "Nightline" outdelivered CBS' "The Late Late Show" during the May 2013 sweep across all key target demos: Total Viewers (+261,000), Adults 25-54 (+54,000) and Adults 18-49 (+66,000).

"Nightline" was up versus the previous sweep in Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%) - 1.630 million and 531,000 for February 2013.

Compared to ABC's performance in the time period during the year-ago sweep (1.623 million on May 2012), "Nightline" was up by 3% in Total Viewers. In fact, "Nightline" posted the Net's largest May sweep audience in the time slot in 11 years - since May 2002.

Late-Night (2013 May Sweep): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,238,000 750,000

CBS 2,094,000 636,000

NBC 2,223,000 757,000

Late-Night (2012-13 Season): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,370,000 784,000

CBS 2,269,000 711,000

NBC 2,199,000 742,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Most Current National Program Ratings for 2013 May sweep (4/25/13-5/22/13), 2012 May sweep (4/26/12-5/22/12), 2012-13 season (9/24/12-5/22/13) and 2011-12 season (9/19/11-5/23/12). 2012-13 season based on regular telecasts and breakout telecasts for w/o 10/29/12; all other breakout telecasts and specials excluded. Comparisons based on 000s.

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