Press releases from ABC and CBS touting their late night numbers arrived within seconds of each other!
Here is CBS’s:
“LATE SHOW” GOES BACK-TO-BACK WITH WINS OVER “THE TONIGHT SHOW” FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1998
“Late Show” Tops “Tonight Show” in Viewers for the Third Time in Four Weeks
The Gap in Both Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34 Narrows to Their
Smallest Difference Since Conan Became Host
“The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” Tops “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
CBS’s LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN topped “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” for the second consecutive week and third time in the past four first-run weeks, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending July 17.
LATE SHOW’s consecutive viewer wins marks the first time the broadcast has topped “The Tonight Show” in successive weeks since February 1998 (during the Nagano Olympics).
In adults 18-49, LATE SHOW was just -0.2 of a rating point behind “The Tonight Show,” while among adults 18-34, the gap has narrowed to -0.5 of a rating point, the smallest difference between the two shows in both demographic measures since Conan became host.
For the week, LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN delivered a 2.4/06 in households with an average of 3.45m viewers, up +14% in households (from 2.1/05) and +17% in viewers (from 2.95m) compared to the same week last year. LATE SHOW was up +10% in adults 25-54 (1.1/04 from 1.0/04), +14% in adults 18-49 (0.8/03 from 0.7/03) and even in adults 18-34 (0.5/02) compared to the same week last year. Note: Due to the primetime announcement of Walter Cronkite’s passing, Friday’s broadcast began at 11:43 PM.
THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON beat “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in households (1.1/04 vs. 1.0/03, +10%) and viewers (1.48m vs. 1.27m, +17%). THE LATE LATE SHOW topped “Late Night” by its largest margin in viewers since Fallon’s March 2009 premiere with first-run broadcasts. In adults 25-54, the two programs were tied (0.6/03, each).
For the week, THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON posted a 1.1/04 in households with 1.48m viewers, up +8% in viewers (from 1.37m) and even in households compared to the same week last year. THE LATE LATE SHOW was up +20% in adults 25-54 (0.6/03 from 0.5/03), and even in both adults 18-49 (0.4/02) and adults 18-34 (0.3/02) compared to the same week last year. Note: Due to the primetime announcement of Walter Cronkite’s passing, Friday’s broadcast began at 12:45AM.
Wow, the demo gap is shrinking considerably – I’m surprised!
Granted, I believe this was the week where Paul McCartney appeared on the show (which likely inflated the demo #) — but Conan’s weekly ratings are the lowest in 18 years I believe? Yikes.
Although the decision was made 5 years ago, I find it mind-blowing how NBC can remove a guaranteed ratings and money-maker in Leno, and fix something that isn’t broken! Granted it’s still early in the Dave vs. Conan battle, plus it’s the summer, but a disasterous start for Conan & NBC.
Another observation, yes, Dave had Sir Paul on last Friday, but he has consistently had better, “A” list guests than Conan. What happened?
How did Ferguson and Fallon drop off so much in total viewers? The Late Late Show and Late Night usually hover around 1.6-1.7 million viewers in the summer with new episodes.
Yeah Conan’s guests are awful – I don’t even think many people like/know most of them! What’s up with that??
I’ve been a huge Conan fan for many, many years and I too can’t figure out what’s going on with his show. They’re trying to put a square peg into the round hole that is 11:35. Conan isn’t as funny, his skits aren’t as funny, the guests are somehow even worse than when he was AFTER Leno (I’m afraid to see the quality of guests once Leno returns earlier in the evening), and Andy Richter has fallen flat.
I wanted SO much to love the new Tonight Show, but it really has fallen off dramatically and the ratings reflect that.
Conan never should have been put on 11:30 in the first place. He’s competing directly with Colbert now, and their shows had pretty much the same audience before – hence that crossover with Conan, the Tonight Show, and the Colbert Report during the writers’ strike. Now Conan and Colbert are splitting the same group.
The trouble with Conan is the pressure to “do Leno” more, and the show is the least funny when he’s doing the mandatory Leno stuff people have come to expect from The Tonight Show. When he’s doing his own thing, it’s frakkin’ hilarious. There’s been a noticeably sharp turn towards that in particular in the past few weeks – it’s as if he was told to try and emulate Leno as much as possible to keep the viewers who prefer him, but it’s almost visible on screen that he’s not thrilled. Now he’s not only not winning those people back, he’s losing the core audience (people like me).
Colbert can’t be blamed for Conan’s falling numbers. Colbert was in reruns last week, getting a little over half his normal number of viewers, and Conan still lost, getting about the same amount of viewers as he did this week. Not to mention, Colbert has been a frequent guest on Letterman.
Wait, what Leno stuff has Conan done?
Can we get the 25-54 demo numbers?
The ABC press release that Bill posted has 25-54 demo numbers for the big three late night shows. To copy from that:
ABC “Nightline” 1,473,000/ 1.2
CBS “Late Show” 1,326,000/ 1.1
NBC “Tonight” 1,466,000/ 1.2
I find it interesting that the Late Late Show continues to increase in viewers and beat Jimmy Fallon this week in spite of the fact CBS refuses to promote the show. I guess maybe CBS doesn’t need to do press releases pronouncing Craig is the ‘King of Late Night’ after all.
I don’t know what anyone sees in Conan, he just isn’t funny, period. I have to say I never much liked CRAIG FERGUSON but I have been finding him funny lately. His opening monologue is different and amusing. He seems very relaxed in his own skin. I only watched because the TV was still on after Letterman but I find myself actually enjoying his show.
thanks guys….
I thought Letterman would win that..
he must have a huge audience relatively speaking ages 60+
Why did NBC think that Conan would do better than Jay in 18-49 viewers,again?
Chris, I guess he must, which is kind of funny when you consider that he was once thought to be “too hip” for 11:30. I haven’t seen the Late Show’s ads shift to products that try to sell to older crowds though, although I’ve definitely seen it with the Late Late Show.
Michael, it made a lot of sense really, I don’t think anyone questioned whether Conan could do better in the younger demos. In fact, the concern was mostly “how will he play with The Tonight Show’s older viewers”. I mean hell, his final episode of Late Night got a 1.4 in 18-49. Not to mention, back when NBC decided Conan would take over The Tonight Show, he was up against Craig Kilborn, who he supposedly beat to a bloody pulp on a nightly basis (I don’t have numbers for that, just articles speculating that Kilborn’s horrible ratings losses might have been why he retired).
The speculation that NBC kept Leno under contract in the event that Conan tanked is looking more credible now. Hard to believe the magnitude of this disaster, but it’s really a career-ender.
I wouldn’t call this a “disaster” at this point (yet)
But my concern is – once Leno actually makes his DEBUT, will Conan see even FURTHER erosion?
That’s blowing it out of proportion Josh. At worst, The Tonight Show and the Late Show have switched numbers (just below 3 million viewers is typical for the Late Show in the summer), except The Tonight Show is still winning the younger demos by a little. In my opinion, for this to be bad enough to be called a disaster (which is a very strong word), he’d have to fall below all the other shows in the younger demos, and still sit below 3 million total viewers once summer is over. Otherwise it’s not a disaster, he’s just losing (which David Letterman did for 13 years while CBS continued to pay him over twenty million a year).
Plus, overall I’m starting to see just how smart a move this was in the long-run. They’ve pre-empted Letterman retiring this way. Leno and Letterman are both getting up there in age, so by forcing Leno to give up The Tonight Show before Letterman could give up the Late Show, NBC has ensured that they’re still the incumbent once Dave retires. Had Dave retired first, whoever replaced him would have gotten a good three year head-start on Conan; but now when Letterman retires, Conan will have become comfortable as host of The Tonight Show and will be the one people turn to after Dave’s replacement’s shaky start.
why is Conan doing so badly? Do that many people not like him or his show? I’ve been a long time fan and admit that his current show is not as good as the old one, but I still think he’s doing pretty well on the Tonight Show. I think that the more confident he gets in his new surroundings the show will only improve.
Could it be people simply aren’t comfortable with him yet? It usually takes viewers awhile to get comfortable with watching a single host night after night. It took Leno at least 3 years. And to be honest, I never liked Leno’s show at all but I could see why people would be comfortable with him.
Actually, it took three-years for Leno to pass Letterman, but Letterman moved to 11:30 the same way Conan did: by hosting Late Night for over a decade (Conan’s tenure was actually longer). Leno even had a year of a head-start over Letterman for the 11:30 spot. So I’m not necessarily sure it’s that people have to get comfortable with Conan, as much as it is that Conan has to get comfortable with his new show. He seems much less lively or comfortable on the new show. He’ll probably be back to his old comfort levels within three years, which luckily for him coincides with Letterman’s probable retirement.
SEE Ya on COMEDY CENTRAL “IN THE YEAR 2000… and 10″
Letterman is just as hokey as Conan, but is more familiar to an older crowd. Difference is, newer viewers in the key demo are going to favor Conan as Dave’s old guard is keeling over and getting tossed into homes. Average viewer age of 56? That’s almost NCIS bad!
Ferguson’s hip and cool
Fallon’s gruel never gonna rule
O’Brien looks a dip and a fool
and Letterman’s nuttin but drool and stool
… and welcome to the first ever Late Night Host Poetry Competition and Commentary Show!
I don’t understand the hate on Conan especially since his show is considerably better than Leno, Letterman and anyone else, but that’s beside the point. Conan has had a serious lack of star power since his launch getting as many people have pointed out, even worse guests than he got on Late Night. Is NBC saving all the good guests for Leno?
Anyway, I’m sure lots of people are suggesting that this is the end for Conan, but if you’ve taken a look at the ratings for ALL of NBC’s shows, Conan is a top draw.
Leno won the ratings war because he got the guests. That’s what put him over originally and that’s what will help Conan in the end.
Plus most of Dave’s viewers are on life support (literally) as were Leno’s, so they’re liable to kick the bucket any day and that’ll help Conan in the long run.
I’ve never met anyone who liked Leno who was under 50 and the only place you see Leno fans is on AOL or places like here where they post stuff like “Conehead O’Brien” and think it’s funny. Clearly there is no accounting for taste in that generation.
There’s no one better on late night than Craig Ferguson. I used to be a diehard Letterman fan and then caught Craig’s show one night. He is hilarious, silly, and irreverent…oh yeah, and drop-dead sexy, which doesn’t hurt.
In the long run, Conan O’Brien will do well. Anyone old enough will remember Conan struggled so much in his beginnings, that NBC threatened to fire him week after week. It takes time to establish an audience that is used to something completely different. I think Conan himself expected to struggle in the ratings war. While his brand of humor appeals to a younger crowd, Letterman and Leno appeal to older people who just don’t get Conan.
And I think Conan’s guest list will get better:
Monday July 27: Meryl Streep, Judd Apatow
Tuesdat July 28: Heidi Klum, Steve Zahn
July 29: Rainn Wilson
July 30: Paul Giamatti
The point is,though, Leno often did BETTER in the 18-49 demo than Conan did in the last 2 weeks.
But Sophia, the difference between everyone else in late night and Craig Ferguson is that Craig doesn’t need wildly popular guests to get ratings. He does it on the strength of the monologue and the puppets alone.
And, since my One Craig Clip a day campaign Craig’s actually climbing in the ratings, which is strange since almost no one reads my blog.
But you all can by clicking my name above this comment. There are lots of illustrative clips there, in fact almost one Craig clip a day.
Why almost. Because I’m human.
People forget Conan was doing Dave’s old show on NBC and thats what made him funny, Conan, Colbert, Stewart..they all worship Dave like Dave did Johnny. Now Conan is being forced to do a Leno rip-off which he isn’t comfortable doing and probably never will be. Dave will again rule for a couple years, John Stewart will take over for Dave and it’ll run equal for after that between Stewart and Conan. There was only one King and he’s dead. Dave was an original, Leno was a bad copy. Craig is really the funniest one on late night TV, Jimmy Fallon looks SO UNCOMFORTABLE it’s almost painful to watch!!
Funny how those posting seem to take sides. I don’t care who wins the ratings, I just don’t find Conan funny so I can understand why he is having trouble replacing Jay. I thought that he might have a big following since he had his own show for years, you would think NBC did some research before offering him the gig. I think Conan may have even more trouble once Jay starts at 10;00 PM, it will remind people how unfunny he is compared to Jay, that oddly could help Letterman even more as they turn the channel. I watched Jimmy Fallon once thought he was interesting, I kind of liked him but given the choice i would rather watch Craig Ferguson.
I’m a young person, and I personally liked the Tonight Show better with Jay than with Conan. I still watch the show every night, and I do find him funny, but I’m not sure why the humor is perceived by people as hipper, smarter, or younger. People shouldn’t generalize those who abandoned the show after Jay left as old people on life-support who don’t get the humor. Some young people prefer Jay to Conan. And believe it or not, some young people prefer Jay to the holier-than-thou “smart” comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as well.
On a side note, my days of watching Late Night ended after Conan left. Although Jimmy Fallon seems like a really nice guy, and as much as I’d like to enjoy the show, it’s painfully awkward to watch him flounder at the mercy of an unsympathetic crowd. I’ve defected to Late Late Show recently, which never fails to make me laugh. Craig Ferguson is an excellent host with a distinct, signature humor, and it’s a shame that his show goes under the radar.
hooray for craig ferguson. his casual monologue destroys everyone else.
jimmy fallon is the opposite of comedy
On the old show, I really enjoyed the dialogue between Conan and Max. I haven’t watched every episode of the new show, but Max (when he’s around) is so quiet, it feels like something is wrong with Conan. They complemented each other on the old show.
That brings me to another issue. NBC needs to put an end to Max disappearing whenever he wants…it’s a distraction. Yes, I know Max has a long history with Springsteen, but this is ridiculous.
One last thing that applies to ALL late night hosts. The second they start pimping their own Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace pages is when I really start disliking them.
To me, it seems really desperate or insecure…like a kid in the 5th grade who would do anything just to be your friend. Bby the way, I’m not an old fart either. I’m 26 with plenty of friends who are addicted to Twitter/Facebook/Myspace. Pretty sure they find it lame too.
Here’s what it really comes down to: who is putting on a better show, Dave or Conan? So far, I think Dave is hands down, and gradually more and more viewers of all age groups are agreeing.
It’s not just the host, either, but the entire production. The Late Show is really putting some special shows together. The Batting Stance Guy clip is all over the place, and the Paul McCartney show was truly magical TV.
Conan has been plain disappointing. He had 5 years to plan this. Remember, Dave made the same transition to 11:35 in 1993, and he did a much smoother job with it than Conan has.
I have really tried to give Conan a chance but each time I put on his show I find myself waking up to Jimmy Fallon. One person mentioned that he has some great guests lined up this week but I looked at the names and had to look them up via wilkipedia. Conan and NBC could find better guests as I’m sure there are plenty of actors trying to promote their latest movie, TV show or whatever. I’m not a great Dave fan but his guests are so much more mainstream and are well known. I hope things get better for Conan because someone will have to replace Jay permanently someday. At least now I can go to bed earlier which will make my boss happier.
Conan has just been plain terrible since inheriting The Tonight Show. Others are right when they say that he doesn’t seem comfortable at all. Also, the level of guests is terrible, which certainly doesn’t help matters.
Craig Ferguson is easily the best talk show host on TV right now. The actual guests don’t matter as he’s funny regardless. His monologue is always hilarious. Unlike the other shows, Craig’s monologue doesn’t feel stiff and pre-planned. He actually seems like he is ad-libbing and it generates more spontaneity. His monologue can be about the most inconsequential things (like the movie G-Force) and yet is still far funnier than anything Dave or Conan have to offer.
Anonymous – Max only agreed to move to LA to do the Tonight Show on the condition that he would be free to leave on occasion to tour with Springsteen. He was very close to not making the move at all because he had to miss a bunch of Springsteen shows (in which Max’s 18 year old son Jay filled in for him and did a great job).
Joe – Craig’s monologues do have a lot of ad-libbing. He often just has an outline of topics and goes from there.
Hey ya’ll
http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratings/late-night
It says there that Nightline is doing better than the Late Show.
Or did I read it wrong.
What do you think?
Conan should have Triumph the Insult Comic Dog as his sidekick rather than Andy. Then even I would watch the show. Triumph is the funniest act on TV.
Intern Jack, since those are all press releases, ALL of them say their network is doing best at something!
“Plus most of Dave’s viewers are on life support (literally) as were Leno’s, so they’re liable to kick the bucket any day and that’ll help Conan in the long run.”
Leno pulled a much better 18-49 demo than Conan is, and Letterman is edging closer and closer to Conan in 18-49 every week.
“Funny how those posting seem to take sides.”
Says the poster who proceeds to take Leno’s side against Conan, and Ferguson’s side against Fallon.
And you know, I’m not sure you can blame bad guests in this day and age. You can definitely blame a loss in the ratings to your competition having a really good guest, but you can’t blame it on your own show having bad guests, in my opinion. As Jay Leno himself once told Fallon, the viewers are tuning in much more for the host than the guests.
TSA I am not taking sides, I don’t care who wins the ratings. It doesn’t matter to me who has more viewers. My personal view is Conan isn’t funny. That is not taking sides. I have nothing against Conan, I gain no satisfaction whether he does good or bad in TV ratings. As for being funny I agree with the person that posted that Craig Ferguson is the best of all late night hosts. Craig Ferguson does a very good opening, it is original and funny. If all the shows were on at the same time I would probably watch Craig Ferguson. He is not up there doing the usual typical, topical monologue. He actually looks like he enjoys doing it, something the others don’t. I am not taking sides hoping one wins over the other. It is just an observation.