ABC's "Kimmel" Opens 2014-15 with Its Biggest-Ever Premiere-Week Audience

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

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live kicked off premiere week of the 2014-15 season (week of September 22, 2014) with its biggest-ever opening-week audience (2.893 million), jumping 19% in Total Viewers over premiere week last year. In addition, Kimmel grew for the 2nd straight year in Adults 18-49 (872,000) to its strongest opening-week performance in 7 years - since 2007.

· Kimmel scored its strongest week of originals in Total Viewers in nearly 1 year and in Adults 18-49 since March 2014 - since the weeks of 11/25/13 and 3/10/14.

· During premiere week of the new season, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live ranked as the #2 talk show in late-night on broadcast or cable in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

· On Thursday (9/25/14), Kimmel dominated NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by 22% in Total Viewers and by 15% in Adults 18-49. In fact, Thursday's Kimmel was the week's 2nd-most-watched telecast in late-night (4.141 million).

Fringe Ratings Report: ABC Late-Night Programming Week of September 22, 2014

ABC Kicks Off the New Season as Late-Night's No. 1 Net in Late-Night in Viewers

"Kimmel" Starts the 2014-15 Season with its Biggest-Ever Premiere-Week Audience

"Nightline" Wins Opening Week of the 2014-15 Season Versus its NBC and CBS Competition in Total Viewers

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 opened the 2014-15 season as the week's most-watched network in late-night (2.510 million), outdrawing NBC by 10% (2.273 million) and CBS by 17% (2.149 million). In fact, after finishing third during the year-ago premiere week, ABC shot up to a first place finish in Total Viewers.

ABC was up over the same week last year (2.136 million on w/o 9/23/13) by 18% in Total Viewers to attract its largest premiere-week audience in late-night in 5 years - since w/o 9/21/09 of the 2009-10 season. In addition, ABC grew year to year for the 2nd year in a row in Adults 18-49 (+2% - 759,000 vs. 746,000), marking its strongest opening-week performance in 3 years -- since w/o 9/19/11 of the 2011-12 season.

ABC posted its most-watched week in late-night since November 2013 - since the week of 11/25/13.

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

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" kicked off premiere week of the 2014-15 season (week of September 22, 2014) with its biggest-ever opening-week audience (2.893 million), jumping 19% in Total Viewers over premiere week last year (2.425 million on w/o 9/23/13). In addition, "Kimmel" grew over the year-ago week for the 2nd consecutive year in Adults 18-49 (+1% - 872,000 vs. 863,000) to its strongest opening-week performance in 7 years - since w/o 9/24/07 of the 2007-08 season.

· "Kimmel" scored its strongest week in Total Viewers in nearly 1 year - since the week of 11/25/13. In fact, excluding the 2-day Thanksgiving week of 2013, "Kimmel" saw its most-watched week since its first week in its 11:35 p.m. slot - since w/o 1/7/13.

· During premiere week of the new season, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ranked as the No. 2 talk show in late-night on broadcast or cable in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

· On Thursday (9/25/14), "Kimmel" dominated NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" by 22% in Total Viewers (4.141 million vs. 3.390 million) and by 15% in Adults 18-49 (1.299 million vs. 1.129 million). In fact, Thursday's "Kimmel" was the week's 2nd-most-watched telecast in late-night (4.141 million). In addition, the Thursday telecast drew the biggest-ever single-day audience for any "Kimmel" broadcast in late-night.

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

ABC News' "Nightline" won the opening week of the 2014-15 season in Total Viewers (1.780 million) during the week of September 22, 2014, based on Live +Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. "Nightline" outperformed CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" by 271,000 Total Viewers and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" by 282,000 Total Viewers. In fact, "Nightline" outdrew the NBC program by its largest-ever Total Viewer advantage during a week of originals.

"Nightline" improved on its year-ago premiere week performance (1.571 million, 686,000 and 516,000, respectively, for September 23, 2013) across all key target demos: Total Viewers (+13%), Adults 25-54 (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+5%). In fact, "Nightline" drew the Net's largest overall opening week audience in the time slot in 9 years - since w/o 9/19/05 of the 2005-06 season.

"Nightline" saw double-digit increases week to week (1.510 million, 621,000 and 449,000, respectively on w/o 9/15/14) in Total Viewers (+18%), Adults 25-54 (+13%) and Adults 18-49 (+21%). In fact, "Nightline" drew its largest overall audience in nearly 2 years and best key Adults performances in over 3 months - since w/o 11/26/12 and w/o 6/9/14, respectively.

"Nightline" claimed the No. 1 telecast of premiere week in Total Viewers (2.244 million) and Adults 25-54 (918,000) with its Thursday airing (9/25/14), beating every telecast of the week of CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Head to head, "Nightline" outperformed the NBC program on Thursday with its largest-ever, single-day margins in both Total Viewers (+1.015 million - 2.244 million vs. 1.229 million) and Adults 25-54 (+391,000 - 918,000 vs. 527,000), based on original episodes.

In addition, the Thursday airing stands as "Nightline's" top telecast in Total Viewers in over 5 months and best in Adults 25-54 in 3 months - since 4/17/14 and 6/5/14, respectively.

Late-Night (Week of Sep 22): TOTAL VIEWERS A18-49(000)

ABC 2,510,000 759,000

CBS 2,149,000 625,000

NBC 2,273,000 867,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day National Program Ratings for weeks of 9/22/14 & 9/23/13, or as dated.

Follow "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on: Facebook.com/JimmyKimmelLive Twitter @JimmyKimmel #Kimmel

Ratings Report: ABC News Programming For the Week of September 22, 2014

"Nightline" Wins Opening Week of 2014-15 Season in Total Viewers

"Nightline" Dominates NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers" with Largest-Ever Total Viewer Advantage

"Nightline" Improves Year-Ago Premiere Week Performance in All Key Demos

Posts ABC's Largest Overall Premiere Week Audience in Time Period in Nine Years

"Nightline" Delivers Largest Overall Audience in Nearly Two Years

ABC News' "Nightline" won the opening week of the 2014-15 season in Total Viewers (1.780 million) during the week of September 22, 2014, based on Live +Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. "Nightline" outperformed CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" by 271,000 Total Viewers and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" by 282,000 Total Viewers. In fact, "Nightline" outdrew the NBC program by its largest-ever Total Viewer advantage during a week of originals.

"Nightline" improved on its year-ago premiere week performance (1.571 million, 686,000 and 516,000, respectively, for September 23, 2013) across all key target demos: Total Viewers (+13%), Adults 25-54 (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+5%). In fact, "Nightline" drew the Net's largest overall opening week audience in the time slot in 9 years - since w/o 9/19/05 of the 2005-06 season.

"Nightline" saw double-digit increases week to week (1.510 million, 621,000 and 449,000, respectively on w/o 9/15/14) in Total Viewers (+18%), Adults 25-54 (+13%) and Adults 18-49 (+21%). In fact, "Nightline" drew its largest overall audience in nearly 2 years and best key adults performances in over 3 months - since w/o 11/26/12 and w/o 6/9/14, respectively.

"Nightline" claimed the No. 1 telecast of premiere week in Total Viewers (2.244 million) and Adults 25-54 (918,000) with its Thursday airing (9/25/14), beating every telecast of the week of CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Head to head, "Nightline" outperformed the NBC program on Thursday with its largest-ever, single-day margins in both Total Viewers (+ 1.015 million - 2.244 million vs. 1.229 million) and Adults 25-54 (+391,000 - 918,000 vs. 527,000), based on original episodes.

In addition, the Thursday airing stands as "Nightline's" top telecast in Total Viewers in over 5 months and best in Adults 25-54 in 3 months - since 4/17/14 and 6/5/14, respectively.

ABC News' "Nightline" is anchored by Dan Harris, Dan Abrams, and Juju Chang. Roxanna Sherwood is executive producer, and Steven Baker is Senior Broadcast Producer. The program airs weeknights from 12:35-1:00 a.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Together with "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Nightline" is part of ABC's winning late night strategy of airing news and entertainment programming.

Week of September 22, 2014:

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

ABC "Nightline" 1,780,000 699,000/0.6 544,000/0.4

CBS "Late Late Show" 1,509,000 635,000/0.5 517,000/0.4

NBC "Late Night" 1,498,000 718,000/0.6 622,000/0.5

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD weeks of 9/22/14, 9/15/14 and 9/23/13. Averages based on regular telecasts. "Nightline" premiered in its new time period in January 2013. *NBC's year-ago week averages based on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."