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[02/18/14 - 06:58 AM]
Debut of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Generates Strong Sampling at a Special Midnight Start Time Following Late Local News and NBC's Coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics
NBC spins the late-night numbers for Monday, February 17.

[via press release from NBC]

Monday Late-Night Metered-Market Results:

The debut of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has generated strong sampling at a special midnight start time following late local news and NBC's coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Fallon's "Tonight" debut last night averaged a 7.1 rating, 20 share in household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research. That made it:

· Easily the #1 non-Olympic telecast versus all primetime and late-night programming last night on ABC, CBS and Fox in metered-market households (#2 among non-Olympic programs was a 5.5/8 for ABC's "The Bachelor").

· Higher-rated than all but two of last week's primetime non-Olympic programs on ABC, CBS and Fox in metered-market households (for the week of Feb. 10-16, behind only Fox's Wednesday "American Idol" and CBS's Thursday "Big Bang Theory" encore, 7.4 each).

· The night's dominant late-night telecast.

· The top-rated late-night talk-show telecast ever for Jimmy Fallon.

· Up 48% versus the 4.8/13 for the Friday, Feb. 7 finale of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," which aired at 12:05 a.m. ET following primetime Olympics coverage) and was Fallon's previous high for a late-night talk show.

· Tied for the second-highest "Tonight Show" overnights since Friday, May 29, 2009 (8.8/20, for Leno's last telecast before Conan O'Brien took over as host), trailing over that span only the Thursday, Feb. 6 finale of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (9.2/22) and tied with the June 1, 2009 "Tonight" debut for O'Brien (7.1/17).

· Up versus "Tonight's" season-to-date average in the metered markets by +145% (7.1 vs. 2.9).

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, the premiere of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" also generated solid sampling, averaging a 3.4 rating, 17 share in adults 18-49. It's the top Local People Meter result ever for a Fallon-hosted last-night talk show (the prior high was a 2.3 on Jan. 22, 2010, the night of O'Brien's last original "Tonight").

The 3.4 rating in the Local People Meters is up 62% versus the 2.1/10 for the Friday, Feb. 7 finale of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," airing at 12:05 a.m. ET following primetime Olympics coverage

Detailed Results in Late-Night Metered Markets Monday night:

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 7.1 rating, 20 share from midnight-1 a.m. ET; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.0/5, and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "Tonight," 3.4/17 at midnight; "Late Show," 0.5/2, and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.2/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.2/1 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

NOTE: All ratings are "live plus same day" from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

Monday Late-Night "Fast Official" Results:

· The debut of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has generated strong sampling at a special midnight start time following late local news and NBC's coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Fallon's "Tonight" debut last night averaged a 3.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 11.314 million viewers overall, according to fast-official "live plus same day" ratings from Nielsen Media Research, making these the top results to date for a Fallon-hosted late-night talk-show hour.

· The 11.314 million is up 71% or 4.7 million persons versus the 6.601 million for the Friday, Feb. 7 finale of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," which aired at 12:05 a.m. ET following primetime Olympics coverage) and was Fallon's previous high for a late-night talk-show hour.

· The 11.314 million is also the second-biggest audience for "Tonight" since May 29, 2009 (11.901 million, for Leno's last telecast before Conan O'Brien took over as host), trailing over that span only the Thursday, Feb. 6 finale of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (14.637 million for an 11:35 p.m. ET telecast that also followed primetime Olympics coverage).

· Monday's Fallon debut on "Tonight" delivered more viewers than all but two of last week's primetime non-Olympic programs on ABC, CBS and Fox (for the week of Feb. 10-16, behind only CBS's Thursday "Big Bang Theory" encore, 11.8 million; and Fox's Wednesday "American Idol," 11.7 million).

· In adults 18-49, last night' 3.8 rating ties the Feb. 6 Leno finale as the top "Tonight" since Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 (4.4 for Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show) and is the highest-rated Monday telecast of "Tonight" since Jan. 24, 2005 (tribute to Johnny Carson, 4.8). Versus Fallon's Feb. 7 "Late Night" finale, Monday's "Tonight" debut is up 73% (3.8 vs. 2.2).

· The 3.8 rating ranks ahead of every primetime non-Olympic program on ABC, CBS and Fox last week, Feb. 10-16, ahead of the 3.4 for Wednesday's "American Idol."

· Versus season-to-date averages through Feb. 9, Monday's �Tonight' telecast is up +182% in total viewers (11.314 million vs. 4.011 million).

· Results from 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET last night were: "Late Show with David Letterman," 0.5 rating in adults 18-49, 2.411 million viewers overall; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4 in 18-49, 2.106 million viewers overall.

· The top 10 highest-rated local markets for last night's "Tonight" debut were: Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston and Orlando-Daytona Beach.

· The Feb. 17 "Tonight" telecast featured Will Smith, musical guest U2 and numerous additional guest appearances.





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