Posted on 06/11/2009 1:20:45 PM PDT by lewisglad
Conan Gives NBC Big Lead In Adult Demos
My phone has been ringing off the hook this morning with the news about Conan O'Brien's "blow-out" lead in adult demographics most desirable to advertisers during his first week hosting The Tonight Show. Of course, this is impoirtant info, more so than households. Then again, that's NBC's mantra: we don't need eyeballs as long as we have key demos. Actually, both count. But let the gushing begin:
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – June 11, 2009 – Conan is the new King of Late Night. "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" was the dominant winner in its first week on the air, delivering huge margins of victory in every ratings category. "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" won the week of June 1-5 with a 2.3 rating in the key measure of adults 18-49, the highest rated week for "The Tonight Show" in more than four years, and a towering 156 percent margin over CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" in adults 18-49. Even excluding the highly rated premiere show on June 1, Conan won the week with a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49 and by 111 percent over the CBS program (0.9).
"This is beyond our wildest expectations," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night and Primetime Series, NBC Entertainment. "Conan has brought new younger viewers to 11:35 p.m. and we're gratified that the demographic trend has continued here in week two, where the early numbers continue to show dominant victories, in all the key categories, for 'The Tonight Show'."
Back in week one, the previously released metered-market household ratings had shown Conan dominating the week by a 62 percent margin; that lead over "Late Show" expanded to 156 percent in the key 18-49 category (2.3 vs. 0.9) and 267 percent in adults 18-34 (2.2 vs. 0.6), according to national ratings released today by Nielsen Media Research. "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" out-rated "Late Show" in every significant ratings category -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers -- on all five nights of the week.
The 156 percent margin of victory in 18-49 is the highest for the "Tonight Show" over a full week of "Late Show" originals since at least May 1992. Even excluding the high-rated Monday premiere, the 111 percent advantage on Tuesday through Friday is the best for "Tonight" in a week of all "Late Show" originals in more than 10 years (since the week of February 15-20, 1999, 115 percent)
Conan's 2.3 rating for the week in adults 18-49 is the highest for "Tonight" since the week of February 28-March 4, 2005.
Conan's average rating for the week in the younger half of the key 18-49 demo, adults 18-34, a 2.2, is a top-10 result among all primetime programs for the week of June 1-7, tying Fox's "The Simpsons" for #10 on that list. In 18-49, Monday's 3.8 is #3 versus all primetime programs for the week, behind only two NBA Finals telecasts on ABC.
Conan's ratings dominance helped lift "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" at 12:35 a.m. ET to its highest weeklong 18-49 rating ever, a 1.0. Jimmy's margin of victory over CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" was a hefty 67 percent in 18-49 rating and that margin climbed to 125 percent in the younger half of the demo, adults 18-34 (0.9 vs. 0.4). Jimmy even out-rated Letterman in 18-49 (1.0 vs. 0.9) for the week and dominated Letterman in 18-34 (0.9 vs. 0.6), despite airing an hour later than the CBS telecast.
Since his March 2 debut, Jimmy Fallon has finished #1 in the time period among the broadcast networks on 68 of 70 nights in adult 18-49 rating, including three ties.
At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" delivered its biggest 18-49 rating (0.6) since the week of October 15-19, 2007, and biggest overall audience (1.4 million) since the week of December 22-26, 2008.
Conan's debut on Monday, June 1 generated a 3.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.2 million viewers overall, matching the top "Tonight" 18-49 rating on any night of the week since Monday, Jan. 24, 2005 (tying the night of the President Obama interview, March 19, 2009). In total viewers, it's the biggest Monday audience for "Tonight" since that January 24, 2005 telecast, a special tribute to Johnny Carson.
I bet Conan goes out of his way to attack Palin. Just got a feelin’.
No way. If anything, he will have her on if he is smart.
Should have added: But what do I know?
We’ll see. Conan has to cater to the Hollywood libs, and libs will not like his appearing to support Sarah.
If it involves anything as reprehensible as the Letterman joke, I will go after his advertisers too.
The needful urge to slap Dirty Old Letterman is frustrating me. Not a fan of late-night talk, I might have to turn in to Conan—
Letterman had a great opportunity when the hapless Conan took over The Tonight Show. And he just threw it away.
No I think Conan will not stoop to Letterman’s gutter. But he will attack Sarah.
Letterman is not going to get the 18-49 demos unless Obama is on, so he is always going to lose that battle. Dave’s only shot is beating O’Brien in overall viewers
With Jay Leno’s departure from the 10:30 evening spot, my husband and I began tuning-in to the David Letterman show.
I remember very much enjoying his “whacky” brand of humor and appreciate how he revolutionized the genre with funny pet tricks and by taking the camera outside the studio to the vibrant streets and shops below.
Unfortunately Mr. Letterman, for our tastes, has devolved over the years into a stale, bitter and humorless old fart. After witnessing last night’s creepy and curious rationalization for the equally creepy and curious Palin family rant of the night before, this household switched over to watch that funny-looking man on NBC. (It was either that or a long soapy shower to wash away the bile.)
Mr. O’Brien is fresh, sunny and, most important, he’s funny. We laughed our asses off!
We gave late night CBS a shot but Mr. O’Brien’s Tonight Show is now Must See TV.
Conan’s best move now is to be quiet and let Letterman destroy himself. (plus put Andy Richter on the couch)
Agreed.
Interesting. I read (yesterday, I think) how Conan’s overall ratings were huge on his first day and then have declined every day since then to the point where Letterman beat the Tonight Show for the first time since Letterman had McCain on last fall.
I turned off the networks years ago.
Glad to see my decision is still vindicated.
Conan and his writers are not as mean-spirited and angry as Letterman and his are. He won’t go after ANY 14-year-olds, I promise you that. Plus, he doesn’t need to gin up phony celebrity feuds like Letterman does (just look at the ratings), either.
Headline is completely off.
#1 - the rating period in question was the first week of the Conan era - June 1st through 5th.
Letterman made his crude remarks June 8th and 9th.
#2 - this is little more than spin on the part of NBC. Conan is tanking night by night. In the overnights on Monday they were essentially tied,, and on Tuesday Letterman beat Conan. NBC is trying to counter the buzz that they are losing and that Conan is already in trouble.
From TVGUIDE - commenting on Letterman’s first head-to-head win in only the 7th night of direct competition:
The Tonight Show’s numbers, in fact, have declined every night since O’Brien seized the reins on June 1. (A 42% drop in audience from Mon to Friday.)
Read the article - NBC is not talking about this week at all, they are trying to spin the averages and cume from last week to keep their advertisers in house.
Conan is a sinking ship.
**
I am not defending Letterman or his comments in any way, but your headline puts an inaccurate spin on the topic and contradicts the known facts.
Exaactly
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.