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TBS's Lopez Tonight premieres to an average audience of 3.2 million

Categories: Cable TV,Network TV Press Releases

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November 10th, 2009

via press release - please note the premiere was simulcast across TNT, TBS and truTV and these numbers are the aggregate.

George-Lopez

TBS’s Lopez Tonight Welcomes 3.2 Million Viewers to Simulcast Premiere of Late Night’s Big Party

Last night, TBS’s new series Lopez Tonight got the late-night party started in a big way, scoring 3.2 million viewers and 1.8 million adults 18-49.  The series premiere, which was simulcast on TBS and sister networks TNT and truTV, featured host George Lopez chatting with guests Ellen DeGeneres, Eva Longoria-Parker and Kobe Bryant, and musical guest Carlos Santana.

Individually, TBS’s premiere was watched by 1.7 million viewers, while TNT’s part of the simulcast was watched by 1 million viewers and truTV’s by half a million viewers.  TBS’s telecast also delivered more adults 18-34 than the season-to-date averages for six other major late-night series on broadcast and cable, and more adults 18-49 than five other late-night series.

“Viewers are ready for a change, and George Lopez is an exciting addition to late-night television,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.  “We are extremely proud of the success of last night’s premiere of Lopez Tonight and are confident the show will continue to be a big late-night hit.”

Ratings highlights for the premiere of TBS’s Lopez Tonight:

  • TBS’s Monday night premiere of Lopez Tonight was simulcast on TNT and truTV and was watched by a total of 3,160,000 viewers; 2,426,000 households; 1,005,000 adults 18-34; 1,815,000 adults 18-49 and 1,644,000 adults 25-54.
  • By itself, the TBS telecast of Lopez Tonight was watched by more adults 18-34 (608,000) and adults 18-49 (1,022,000) than the current season averages for such late-night series on broadcast and cable as Last Call with Carson Daly, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  The TBS telecast was also watched by more adults 18-34 than the season-to-date average for Late Show with David Letterman.
  • The combined three-network simulcast was sampled by more adults 18-34 and 18-49 than the season-to-date average for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Late Show with David Letterman.

Lopez Tonight airs on TBS Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT).  Tonight’s guests are Marc Anthony and Jamie Foxx.  On Wednesday, Lopez Tonight musical director Michael Bearden (This Is It) will reunite Michael Jackson’s band for the first time since the memorial service to play a special tribute to the late King of Pop.

Other upcoming guests include Sandra Bullock, Ray Romano, Jessica Alba, Charlie Sheen, Queen Latifah, Ted Danson, Andy Garcia, Larry David, Taylor Lautner, Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Eva Mendes, Arsenio Hall and Kathy Griffin.

Lopez Tonight comes to TBS from 2.2 Productions, paraMedia Inc. and Telepictures Productions.  Lopez is executive producing the show with Jim Paratore (The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Bonnie Hunt Show) and Mike Gibbons (The Late Late Show).

For the 2009-10 season, Telepictures Productions, an industry-leading and Emmy®-winning producer of syndicated programming (having garnered 59 Emmys in 13 years, including Outstanding Talk Show/Talk Show Host for 11 of the last 13 years), is producing eight nationally syndicated strips, including the seventh season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the fifth season of The Tyra Banks Show and the 16th season of Extra.

TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s top-rated comedy network.  It serves as home to such original comedy series as My Boys, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns, as well as the upcoming Neighbors from Hell; late-night series like Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez, and the upcoming The Very Funny Show, hosted by Tim Meadows; hot contemporary comedies like The Office, My Name is Earl, Family Guy and Seinfeld; specials like Funniest Commercials of the Year; special events, including star-studded comedy festivals in Chicago and Las Vegas; blockbuster movies; and hosted movie showcases.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

(95) Comments - Add Yours!

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  1. tom

    so leno is now in… 4th?

  2. Mike

    I would have expected better for a heavily-hyped show. I’m also not so sure that the simulcast was sucha good idea, the drop off will now be monumental.

  3. tom, Leno doesn’t air at the same time and isn’t considered “late night” (10pm is still primetime). As Mike notes, the drop off is likely to be pretty steep it will be interesting to follow.

  4. Easten76

    Lopez is the best of the current late night comics. So far cable’s Chelsea Lately and Lopez shit all over the boring comics on the broadcasters.

  5. 0mega

    I had the same thought that 3.2 million was not really that impressive for a show was promoted as heavily as this was. We’ll have to see what the dropoff is, but if it is anywhere as big as you would think, this show is pretty much an abject failure.

  6. Jesse

    I turned it on and immediately turned it off when I saw “Used the N Word/Never Used the N Word”

    Someone give Craig Ferguson an earlier show. He’s miles better than the rest of the late night hosts.

  7. tom

    oh… thought it was on at 11.

  8. Grace W.

    @ Jesse: Absolutely! Craig is the best-kept secret in late-night.

  9. andrew

    Does anyone know how “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” are performing ratings-wise in comparison to the past couple of years?

  10. Danielle Ledesma

    Lopez Tonight was wonderful last night. It is a refreshing entry into the world of latenight television, where, much of it has been quite staid. The show is full of energy, creativity & life! I wish George & the whole staff & crew continued success. It is so nice to actually have a show on TV worth watching!

  11. CdeLeo

    The only guest I’m interested in is Eva Mendez’s Booty.

  12. Sara

    Honestly, I dont really like George Lopez, I just dont think he is funny at all

  13. Roland

    The Daily Show, October 2007
    Rating: 1.3
    Viewers: 1,608,000
    18–49: 1,056,000

    The Colbert Report, October 2007
    Rating: 0.9
    Viewers: 1,153,000
    18–49: 802,000

    Couldn’t find other numbers.. but a NYTIMES article from 2005, puts The Daily Show averaging 1.3M viewers and 2/3 between 18-49

    But looking at 2007 to now, it looks pretty consistent. Hard to state though without multiple data points–but since 2007 I’d say they pretty much have grown slightly.

  14. Joe

    George is the most unfunny person in Hollywood. His new show just proves that ANYONE in Hollywood can get a talkshow. I saw only a couple of minutes of his opening monologue and that was a couple of minutes of my life I can’t get back. I didn’t laugh AT ALL. It’s truly amazing what networks will come up with to counter popular programs. Does FOX really think they can draw viewers away from SNL with the Wanda Sykes show? Did they forget how she tried to embarass Bill Cosby at the Emmy’s about 5 years ago? Talk about an awkward moment. I guess I’m too old, because I enjoy the older guys like Letterman, Conan (and if still alive and working) Johnny Carson. For some reason, (so-called) comedians/comediennes think they have to be loud and obnoxious to be funny…not so.

  15. Roland

    I have to agree with you on one point Joe, perhaps you’re too old =p Just kidding with you, but Conan isn’t generally seen as an old person show–although I can see now how it is more old friendly than the 12:30 show.

    But the problem with letterman, conan, and even leno is that they are all the same thing. The interviews are boring as hell, and I don’t really want to hear them talk about the movie they are pushing. The great part about the daily show or colbert report is that more often than not, they have people on who have interesting things to say about the world we live in. Yes they are still pushing a book, or sometimes film, but the majority of times you have people who are interesting and fresh.

  16. paul

    Watching Lopez would make a great drinking game — take a swig every time this fugly racist makes a racial comment. Take two every time he says “Latino”. Take three every time he says something derogatory about “Caucasians”.
    BET has Monique and then Wendy Williams on when douchebags like Lopez and Letterman are on the other channels. I’ll stick with BET.

  17. Ivan

    George Lopez is funny, especially if you’re Latino. But stop hating on him. What I Love about George is that he humiliates Caucasians because they are so retarded n lazy nowadays. All of u r used 2 hearing jokes about blacks n mexicans Well get use 2 George’s bullying Caucasians!!!

  18. RUKidding?

    The funniest late night (actually early morning) show is Red Eye. A zero budget show on a news channel provides more laughs than Letterman, Leno, Lopez, and the rest combined.

  19. jaime green +fam

    we love you a lot . cabron

  20. jaime green +fam

    We love you a lot, cabron

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