Obama gooses ‘Tonight Show’ ratings

President Barack Obama is locked in a tight reelection bid against Republican Mitt Romney, but he did win the Nielsen ratings race on Wednesday night.

Obama’s appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” drew the show’s best overnight rating for a Wednesday telecast since March 3, 2010, the week Leno returned to “Tonight” following a nine-month absence.

The show averaged a 4.0 household rating in metered markets, according to Nielsen, and improved on the previous Wednesday’s rating by 48 percent.

“Tonight” had a sharp advantage over ABC’s “Nightline,” the usual late-night leader, which averaged a 3.2, and CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” which drew a 2.6.

The big “Tonight” rating also gave a boost to lead-out “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which drew a 1.9 at 12:35 a.m., Fallon’s best rating since June 3, 2009.
 

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