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Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers generate Monday highs while 'The Voice' and 'Blacklist' deliver a primetime sweep

by jmaloni

Submitted

Tue, Feb 25th 2014 08:20 pm

NBC's late-night and primetime programming has delivered dominant results for the night of Monday, Feb. 24.

At 11:35 p.m. ET, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" delivered strong ratings with its first telecast on a non-Olympic night, averaging a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 6.257 million viewers overall in "fast official" ratings from Nielsen Media Research. It's "Tonight's" highest Monday 18-49 rating, excluding Olympic nights, in more than four years in 18-49 (since June 2, 2009, 3.8 for Conan O'Brien's debut on "Tonight"), and in nearly four years in total viewers (since March 1, 2010, 6.670 million the night of Jay Leno's return).

Monday's telecast is up 56 percent versus "Tonight's" non-Olympic season average in total viewers (6.257 million vs. 4.011 million, L+SD). "Tonight" topped the combined audience in the time period of CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" (2.585 million) and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (2.436 million).

At 12:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" delivered strong ratings with its premiere telecast, averaging a 1.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.417 million viewers overall in Nielsen's "fast official" ratings. These are the top 18-49 and total-viewer results for a Monday "Late Night" in nine years (since Jan. 24, 2005, for a "Late Night" encore, 1.9 in 18-49 and 3.935 million viewers overall, which followed a high-rated "Tonight Show" tribute to Johnny Carson). Note that the March 2, 2009, premiere of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" averaged a 1.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 2.866 million viewers overall.

The 1.4 rating in adults 18-49 is the highest rating for the weeknight debut of a 12:05 or 12:35 a.m. ET talk show on the broadcast networks since the premiere of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1.7 on Sept. 13, 1993).

The debut of "Late Night with Seth Meyers" is up 69 percent in total viewers versus "Late Night's" season average (3.417 million vs. 2.021 million, L+SD). Monday's "Late Night" retained 55 percent of its "Tonight Show" lead-in in total viewers (3.417 million vs. 6.257 million), versus the show's 50 percent season average (2.021 million vs. 4.011 million). The 3.4 million for "Late Night" last night topped the combined audiences in the time slot of ABC's "Nightline" (1.305 million for the first half-hour of the time period) and CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.236 million).

Monday's "Tonight Show" featured Reese Witherspoon, Fred Armisen and musical guest Rick Ross with The Roots. Tonight's telecast is schedule to include Paul Rudd, Shaquille O'Neal and Hannibal Buress.

Monday's "Late Night" featured Amy Poehler, Vice President Joe Biden and musical guest A Great Big World. Tuesday's telecast is scheduled to include Kanye West, Russell Wilson and writer Robyn Doolittle.

NBC also enjoyed a dominant performance in preliminary "fast national" results for primetime, sweeping six of six half-hours among the "Big 4" networks in adults 18-49 and total viewers. "The Voice" and "The Blacklist" returned to the schedule with time-period wins among the networks in every key ratings category.

"The Voice" (4.7 rating, 13 share in adults 18-49, 15.7 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m.) delivered an 18 percent gain versus the show's Dec. 17 fall finale in adults 18-49 (with a 4.7 rating vs. a 4.0), to score the highest "Voice" rating on any night of the week since Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 (4.7). "The Voice" is currently running within a tenth of a point of its year-ago premiere in 18-49 (4.7 vs. 4.8 on March 25).

With 15.7 million viewers overall, this is the top "Voice" premiere in total viewers since the post-Super Bowl debut on Feb. 5, 2012. Last night's 15.734 million viewers is up 15 percent versus the year-ago 13.636 million for the "Voice 4" premiere on March 25. It's also the most-watched "Voice" on any night of the week since Monday, March 5, 2012.

Last night's "Voice" grew steadily through its four half-hours with this track in adults 18-49: 3.9, 4.6, 5.0 and 5.2. From its first half-hour to its fourth, "The Voice" grew 33 percent, or 1.3 rating points, in 18-49 (to a 5.2 from a 3.9), and 21 percent, or 2.9 million persons, in total viewers (16.8 million vs. 13.9 million).

From 10:01-11 p.m., "The Blacklist" (3.1/9 in adults 18-49, 11.3 million viewers overall) jumped versus its prior telecast four weeks ago by 24 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.1 from a 2.5 on Jan. 27, an episode that did not have a "Voice" lead-in) and 11 percent in total viewers (11.278 million vs. 10.171 million).

"The Blacklist" delivered its highest 18-49 and total-viewer results since the show's fall finale on Dec. 2 (3.2). Excluding that fall-finale telecast, this matches the highest "Blacklist" in 18-49 since Sept. 30, the show's second telecast (3.3). It's also a high in total viewers, excluding that fall finale, since Sept. 30 (pending updates).

"The Blacklist" ranked No. 1 in the hour among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49, and every key measure, with a current margin of 82 percent in adults 18-49 versus ABC's No. 2 "Castle" (3.1 vs. 1.7), and a margin of 158 percent over CBS' "Intelligence" (3.1 vs. 1.2).

Note that "The Blacklist" is one of the most time-shifted shows in television history, with the prior telecast growing by 83 percent in adult 18-49 rating and by an industry record 6.7 million viewers overall going from these next-day "live plus same day" ratings to Nielsen's "live plus seven day" results.

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