medialifemagazine.com
For ABC, gains extend into late-night
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 7, 2007 - 1:05:35 AM
The surprising resurgence of ABC's “World News with Charles Gibson” in recent months and the record viewership for “The View” in the last weeks of the Rosie O’Donnell saga have gotten loads of attention lately.
But there’s actually a deeper story at ABC, and that's the gains it's making across all dayparts, especially in late-night, after years in the basement ratings-wise.
During May sweeps, both “Nightline” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” made big gains.
“Nightline” was the only Big Three show at 11:35 p.m. to show improvement over last year. The news program had its best May sweep in total viewers since 2004, averaging 3.63 million, up 14 percent over last year.
Its timeslot competitors, “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS and “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on NBC, both declined, though they still had better totals than “Nightline” at 4.09 million and 5.55 million, respectively.
Among adults 25-54, “Nightline” averaged 1.4 rating, 0.3 behind “Letterman” and 0.7 behind “Leno.” That was “Letterman’s” smallest lead over “Nightline” since 2003.
Meanwhile, “Kimmel” had its best May sweeps ever, rising 11 percent over last year in total viewers, to 1.87 million. Perhaps more impressive, it retained 100 percent of “Nightline’s” audience among adults 18-49, averaging a 0.7. It was the only late night talker to rise year to year in total viewers.
Why the gains for "Nightline?" and "Kimmel?"
In the case of “Nightline,” it seems the show has found it groove in the 18 months it's had to restructure after Ted Koppel’s exit, following a rocky start in which the show lost audience.
The show has become more relevant with its political coverage and the upcoming presidential primaries, recently airing reports that tied in with issues or stories raised earlier in the day on “World News” or “20/20.” The effect has been to bring greater depth to ABC News on several social issues.
But also “Nightline’s” three-story format, replacing the old one-issue Koppel format, is proving to be more palatable to younger viewers with shorter attention spans.
And that in turn explains some the gains for “Kimmel.” Those younger viewers are sticking around for the talker, rather than turning over to go to sleep.
But another factor behind "Kimmel's" gains is a device its producers may have picked up from CBS, which figured out how to pump its “The Early Show” ratings several years back by bringing on “Survivor” castoffs the day after they were axed.
This spring, "Kimmel" began bringing on “Dancing with the Stars” bootees after their elimination.
On May 22, the night of the “Stars” season finale, winner Apolo Anton Ohno dropped by, pushing the show to its best-ever Tuesday audience of 2.36 million. Among “Dancing’s” female-skewing audience the show did especially well, registering series highs with women 18-34 and 18-49.
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended May 27, NBC’s “Meet the Press” finished first among Sunday morning shows in total viewers, bringing in 2.90 million. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was a very close second in viewers with 2.87 million and managed a rare victory over NBC with a 0.9 adults 25-54 rating to the latter’s 0.8. It was followed by ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” with 2.32 million and a 0.6 and Fox “News Sunday” in fourth place with 1.11 million and a 0.4.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” was first for the week, averaging 5.7 million total viewers and a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49. “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS had 3.8 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the demo, as did ABC’s “Nightline.” In late late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 2.3 million total viewers and a 1.0 in 18-49s, with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaging 1.9 million viewers and a 0.7, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.4 million viewers and a 0.6 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.4 million total viewers and a 4.3 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 5.0 million viewers and a 3.8/14. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.5 million total viewers and a 2.0/7.
In daytime, CBS again had the largest audience for both daytime dramas and full daytime, averaging 3.61 million and 3.93 million viewers respectively, but tied for second among women 18-49 for both daytime dramas and full daytime with a 1.4 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience with 3.31 million watching its dramas and 3.41 million for full daytime, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.6 rating for its dramas and for full daytime. NBC had an audience of 2.32 million for both dramas and full daytime, and tied for second with a 1.4 rating in women 18-49 for both.
In evening network news for the week ended June 3, ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was No. 1 among total viewers for the sixth straight week with an average of 7.86 million, though it tied with NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” among 25-54s with a 1.9 average rating. “Nightly News” was second in viewers, averaging 7.38 million, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with another all-time low of 5.50 million total viewers and a 1.5 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending May 27, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.2 |
7 |
0.8 |
2.898 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.0 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.866 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
1.7 |
5 |
0.6 |
2.315 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.8 |
2 |
0.4 |
1.110 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending May 27, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.7 |
1.8 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.8 |
1.2 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.8 |
1.2 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
2.3 |
1.0 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.9 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.4 |
0.6 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending May 27, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.3 |
15 |
5.4 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.8 |
14 |
5.0 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.0 |
7 |
2.5 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending May 27, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Daytime dramas |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.607 |
1.4 |
|
ABC |
3.306 |
1.6 |
|
NBC |
2.316 |
1.4 |
|
Full daytime |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.931 |
1.4 |
|
ABC |
3.411 |
1.6 |
|
NBC |
2.316 |
1.4 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending June 3, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
1.9 |
7.860 |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
1.9 |
7.380 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.5 |
5.500 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending May 27, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
KIN
|
7.2
|
8064
|
|
2
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
6
|
6645
|
|
3
|
JEOPARDY
|
KIN
|
5.8
|
6475
|
|
4
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
5.2
|
5750
|
|
5
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
C/P
|
5
|
5605
|
|
6
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.5
|
5054
|
|
7
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
C/P
|
4.4
|
4904
|
|
8
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.3
|
4769
|
|
9
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.2
|
4639
|
|
10
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
KIN
|
3.4
|
3761
|
|
11
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
3.3
|
3663
|
|
12
|
THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.1
|
3433
|
|
12
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
BV
|
3.1
|
3429
|
|
12
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
KIN
|
3.1
|
3428
|
|
15
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3
|
3376
|
|
15
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
BV
|
3
|
3357
|
|
17
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
C/P
|
2.8
|
3143
|
|
18
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
3060
|
|
18
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
C/P
|
2.7
|
2963
|
|
18
|
WITHOUT A TRACE (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
2960
|
|
21
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.5
|
2833
|
|
21
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.5
|
2825
|
|
21
|
KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.5
|
2798
|
|
21
|
INSIDER (AT)
|
C/P
|
2.5
|
2780
|
|
25
|
ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.4
|
2722
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
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