In the household metered markets The Tonight Show beat out Late Show with a 3.6/9 (household rating/share) versus a 3.0/7. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters the Tonight Show also won out with adults 18-49, but by a more narrow margin of 1.2 vs. 1.0 that is certainly subject to change in the fast national and final numbers.
Update: Because there was a question, and I had it already, here is the final chart of Conan vs. Letterman weekly 18-49 ratings. It doesn't include the week of Conan repeats that preceded the Olympics.
Three weeks later, and Leno is STILL pulling out regular demo wins – and that's DESPITE the fact the 10pm precious lead-in was practically the same as TJLS (1.8), and CBS had a stronger 10pm lead-in of 2.3.
So not only do CoCo fans have a horrid sense of humour, they also have a quite a bit of egg on their face.
I know I'm going to get it but Leno is more likable and watchable then Letterman; Terry Bradshaw was a blast reminds me of the old days of Johny were gust just come on and talk not to promote there crap.
At what point will this story become just another ratings item? Is it still necessary to give it its own splashy headline every day? All it does is draw out the extreme commenters on either 'side' of this foolishness to throw spitballs at each other. When and if Conan announces his own late night show (and at this point, does he still even want one?), this will become A BIG THING again. Until then, it's really just business as usual until a long-term trend can be determined.
These items will probably remain as separate posts as long as the interest level stays high enough. After that the information will go back to being part of our overnight posts on Tuesday-Friday as they were before all the hubbub.
Have you posted the Conan v Letterman ratings charts you made?
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It seems you cannot post without being condensending and rude. And I have no idea why your comment gets poste while posting under Anonymous.
LOL @ rba13
I'm not being a jerk….but you're seriously dense.
Think carefully how my comment got through.
(and sorry if you think pointing out the “truth” is being rude – and I sure hope you berated all the Leno haters last month on this site, although I highly doubt it)
I will post it again, once I have another week of Leno v. Letterman ratings, but I have added the “final” Conan v. Letterman 18-49 chart to this post just because it was easy.
Note it doesn't include the last week of Conan repeats that ran prior to the Olympics
Thanks. Much Appreciated.
On paper, last night appeared to be a close match-up, yet Leno still won with ease. So it looks like things are starting to settle down and return to normal. Letterman will probably remain competitive in the 18-49 demo for a while longer- at least until younger viewers begin to lose interest in the late night battle.
BEFORE LENO SANK THE CONAN TONIGHT SHOW BY AGREEING TO DO A RIDICULOUS 10PM “prime” SHOW EVERY NIGHT (that sank like a stone) … *(in the mid to late 2000's) LENO'S TONIGHT SHOW BEAT LETTERMAN'S BY A FAIRLY WIDE MARGIN!
SINCE LENO STOLE THE TONIGHT SHOW FROM CONAN, HIS MARGINS AGAINST LETTERMAN HAVE BEEN NEGLIGIBLE — at best. LENO no longer holds the dominance HE USED TO against Letterman (and Nightline). Because BOTH Letterman and Nightline have had SIGNIFICANT increases in audience since Leno's “return.”
ALL IN ALL, Leno's iron-fisted (*weak-kneed, lily livered) desperate GRASP on airtime for his BIG CHIN — at ANY COST — is costing him ratings-wise. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE turned off by Leno's PATHETIC need to see his BIG UGLY OLD CHIN (still) on TV.
Instead of retiring GRACEFULLY … he will hold on until the INEVITABLE bitter end. Until AFFILIATES or COMCAST force him OFF THE AIR … for the good of the viewing audience.
Wow even with Jennifer Aniston as a guest David could not beat Leno, did not see that coming.
I think it has to be the content and class in the person like Jay Leno that people like to watch good fresh comedy at night.
Conan and his peeps are talking about a show for the fall. I will post the link next time.
Bill, would this revised version have the Conan, Letterman, and Leno trends? Do we have data to do a year over year ratings as well (Conan, Letterman, Leno, Letterman last year, Leno last year)?
Just curious. Thanks for the graphics!
You may not like Bill O'Reilly and I don't really like him either but last night he had that media guy on he always has. Goldberg or whatever? He is also one of the correspondents on HBO RealSports or whatever that sports show is called.
Anyways he said Leno is beating Letterman quickly again because Leno is more likeable and FUNNIER than Letterman!!
O'Reilly led the segment by saying Leno immediately started beating Letterman again once he returned eventhough Letterman crushed Conan. I don't think Letterman quite crushed Conan but he did beat him until Conan's hype built up that he was leaving.
That was hilarious on Leno last night when Leno and Bradshaw started play fighting and then they almost threw water on each other!
Craigperk is totally right!! Letterman is NEVER than funny! Not even close!
I think a lot of people like myself aren't even tuning into Jay for laugh out loud comedy. We just want someone who can recap the day's news in an easy to follow, humorous way. Jay is a good storyteller who can deliver the facts and punchlines quickly whereas Conan drags the monologue by interrupting himself by making weird faces and noises.
JBRK, LMAO!!
Conan makes weird faces and noises! Actually Conan is just plain WEIRD which is why he's gone and Leno is back in his THRONE where he belongs!!
NBC TONIGHT SHOW has always had an “edge” over Letterman in that NBC's Tonight Show appears in more markets. That aside, the “difference” between audience numbers (right now) is barely noticeable. I believe analysis shows that Leno's second-coming Tonight Show is doing FAR WORSE than before Conan took over. BOTH NIGHTLINE and LETTERMAN are doing SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER these days THAN BEFORE.
Ergo: it would seem some viewers have turned away from LENO
@iconklee, “NBC TONIGHT SHOW has always had an “edge” over Letterman in that NBC's Tonight Show appears in more markets. “
My understanding is that any differences in the two shows distribution is tiny. Feel free to provide a link to source information to prove otherwise.
Why would the Tonight Show be in more markets than the Late Show anyway?? Anywhere in America you have a TV you can get your NBC and CBS affiliates so how could there be a difference?
I know someone could be in an isolated area where they can't get their CBS or NBC affiliates but how would that favor one over the other??