Jimmy Fallon Posts Highest-Rated Week in Six Months

Fallon’s 1.16 rating in adults 18-49 is his highest since June 9-13 (1.24), and topped the combined 1.12 of Kimmel (0.57) and Letterman (0.55).

With a six-month high in adults 18-49, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has dominated the late-night week of Dec. 15-19, beating the combined rating of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman.

In total viewers, it was Fallon’s most-watched week in three months, with his 4.218 million being the show’s biggest overall audience since the week of Sept. 15-19 (4.224 million).

Tonight’s big week was paced by a 1.51 rating in 18-49 and 4.818 million viewers overall Tuesday night, Dec. 16, the night of the Voice finale. The Tuesday telecast featured an appearance by Justin Timberlake and guests Christoph Waltz and Nicki Minaj.

That night’s 1.51 rating in 18-49 was the show’s highest since Thursday, May 22, the night of the Last Comic Standing season premiere (1.52, when guests included Will Ferrell performing with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chad Smith, a Ferrell look-a-like). 

Tuesday’s 4.818 million is Tonight’s most-watched telecast in nine months, since Monday, March 17 (5.204 million, with guest James Spader).

In the 12:35 a.m. ET hour, Late Night with Seth Meyers prevailed over CBS’s Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in adults 18-49 on five of five nights for the week and posted a weeklong margin of +32 percent versus Ferguson (with a 0.50 rating vs. a 0.38). Meyers topped ABC’s Nightline in their head-to-head half-hour from 12:30-1 a.m. in all key categories.