Click Here for More Articles on RATINGS WATCH...

NBC Late Night Delivers No. 1 Finish for November Sweep

Related: NBC

NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" have delivered #1 finishes for the November 2012 sweep, with Jay generating bigger 18-49 and total-viewer audiences than CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" and ABC's combination of "Nightline" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in the hour, while Jimmy Fallon topped CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and "Kimmel" in their head-to-head half-hour in 18-49 and total viewers and out-delivered "Late Late Show" in every key ratings category. In "live plus same day" results for the 28-night sweep from Nielsen Media Research, "Tonight" averaged a 0.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.4 million viewers overall and "Late Night" earned a 0.5 in 18-49 and 1.6 million viewers overall.

Versus the 2011 November sweep, "Tonight" increased its margins over CBS's "Late Show" in viewers 18-49, viewers 25-54 and total viewers. In 18-49, Jay topped "Late Show" for the month by a 6 percent margin (1.005 million vs. 947,000), reversing the finish of last year, when "Late Show" prevailed by 10 percent. In viewers 25-54, "Tonight's" November 2012 margin is 7 percent (1.305 million vs. 1.216 million), reversing last year's 7 percent advantage for "Late Show." In total viewers, Jay prevailed for the month by 8 percent (3.400 million vs. 3.160 million), up from the year-ago 5 percent margin.

At 12:35 a.m. ET, Jimmy Fallon stretched his November sweep margins over "Late Late Show" this year versus last in viewers 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54. In 18-49, Jimmy led by a 14 percent advantage (646,000 vs. 565,000), reversing "Late Late Show's" 4 percent win in November 2011. In viewers 18-34, Jimmy stretched his lead to 41 percent (274,000 vs. 194,000), up from last year's 21 percent. And in viewers 25-54, Jimmy led by 5 percent (766,000 vs. 728,000) after "Late Late Show" prevailed by 2 percent last year.

The November sweep concluded during the week of November 19-23, with "Tonight" and "Late Night" scoring season highs in 18-49 viewers. With strong Thursday results following a primetime NFL telecast, Jay delivered 1.240 million viewers 18-49 for the week, best for "Tonight" since September 3-7, and Jimmy averaged 749,000 viewers 18-49 for the week, also his best since September 3-7.

For the week of November 19-23, during which some nights were excluded due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Jay and Jimmy out-delivered the ABC and CBS competition in their time periods in every key ratings category: adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of November 19-23. Weekly and sweep ratings reflect "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day.")

ADULTS 18-49
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 1.0 rating, 4 share*
CBS "Late Show," 0.8/3*
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.7/3*
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 0.4/2*
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 0.6/3*
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4/2*
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3/2 (with encore telecasts)*

TOTAL VIEWERS
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.6 million viewers*
CBS "Late Show," 3.1 million viewers *
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 3.5 million viewers*
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 1.8 million viewers*
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.8 million viewers*
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.5 million viewers*
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.9 million viewers (with encore telecasts)*

*Results for NBC's Friday, CBS's Thursday and Friday and ABC's Wednesday through Friday are excluded due to the Thanksgiving holiday. "Late Late Show" was an encore on Wednesday.

NOVEMBER SWEEP

ADULTS 18-49
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 0.8 rating
CBS "Late Show," 0.7
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.8
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 0.5
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 0.5
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.4
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3

TOTAL VIEWERS
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.4 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 3.2 million viewers
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 3.8 million viewers
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 2.0 million viewers
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.6 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.6 million viewers
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.9 million viewers

SEASON TO DATE

ADULTS 18-49
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 0.8 rating, 3 share
CBS "Late Show," 0.7/3
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 0.8/3
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 0.5/3
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 0.5/3
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.5/3
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.3/2

TOTAL VIEWERS
11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Tonight," 3.4 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 3.1 million viewers
11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET
ABC "Nightline," 3.8 million viewers
12 midnight-1 a.m. ET
ABC "Kimmel," 1.9 million viewers
12:35-1:35 a.m. ET
NBC "Late Night," 1.7 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.5 million viewers
1:35-2:05 a.m. ET
NBC "Last Call," 0.9 million viewers

SELECTED CABLE RESULTS, WEEK OF NOVEMBER 19-23

NATIONAL ADULT 18-49 RATING
Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. ET, "The Daily Show," 0.4 (with encore telecasts)**
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.3 (with encore telecasts)**
TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.4 (with encore telecasts)
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 0.8
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 0.5
Each adult 18-49 rating point equals 1.27 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS
Comedy Central, 11-11:30 p.m. "The Daily Show," 0.9 million (with encore telecasts)**
Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET, "The Colbert Report," 0.7 million (with encore te
lecasts)** TBS, 11 p.m.-midnight, "Conan," 0.9 million (with encore telecasts)
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET, 2.0 million
Adult Swim, 12:30-1:30 a.m. ET, 1.3 million
**Comedy Central shows were preempted Thursday.