NBC jokes are a dime a dozen, but seriously, when will the network get it right?
All summer, it seems like the Peacock has aired nothing but America’s Got Talent, whether they’ve been new performance and results shows, or repeats of those same episodes.
Perhaps NBC should have aired reruns of the talent competition during its late-night timeslots because the ratings for those shows haven’t been so great.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno is pulling in fewer viewers than when Conan O’Brien hosted the show last year in the adults aged 18 to 49 demographic, which is what advertisers look at. Overall, this summer has been the lowest-rated on record for The Tonight Show.
Since May, Leno averaged 3.8 million viewers and a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating (each ratings point in that demo equals about 1.3 million viewers), according to Nielsen. While it’s actually a 12 per cent improvement in total audience numbers compared to O’Brien, it’s down 23 per cent in the demographic compared with Leno’s show two years ago.
But even with the mediocre numbers, Leno is still besting his rival, CBS’s Late Show With David Letterman, by 22 per cent. CBS, however, points out that Letterman’s ratings are at least holding steady compared with last summer.
NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, CBS’s The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! are actually all maintaining their averages; Fallon and Kimmel have even seen some gains in total viewers.
Affiliates are pleased with NBC’s lineup — even late night. Last year, the stations had voiced their concerns regarding Leno in primetime and O’Brien hosting The Tonight Show, which resulted in the late-night debacle. This year, the stations are welcoming scripted dramas in the 10 o’clock spot with open arms. Hopefully, the ratings will continue into late night.
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