During the week of May 21, 2012, which included the final 3 nights of the season leading into the Memorial Day weekend, ABC jumped over the prior week by 11% in Total Viewers to turn in its 3rd-most-watched week in late-night this season. In fact, ABC was up the most week to week among the 3 major broadcasters, as NBC was up 4% and CBS was down 16%. ABC was the #1 network in late-night during the 2012 May Sweep in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. ABC held its largest advantages ever over CBS, leading by 6% in viewers and by 11% in young adults. ABC also outperformed NBC by 8% in Total Viewers and by 9% in Adults 18-49 to lead in 2 of the 3 sweep periods of the season (May 2012 and November 2011). Together Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live form ABC’s winning late-night strategy of airing news and entertainment programming.
ABC’s Nightline won the week of May 21, 2012, increasing its tally as the #1 program in late-night to 9 consecutive weeks in all target demos — Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49. Nightline has stood as late-night’s top program of the week in all 3 measures in 12 of the last 13 weeks. On Tuesday (5/22/12), Nightline turned in its strongest telecast in Total Viewers in 6 months and 2nd-most-watched telecast overall this season. In fact, it was late-night’s top broadcast overall in Total Viewers since the Nightline airing in November, beating every telecast of The Tonight Show and The Late Show. ABC’s Nightline ranked #1 for the 2012 May Sweep in all target demos. Leading the May sweep for the 2nd year in a row, Nightline scored its first-ever back-to-back May sweep victories, beating both NBC’s The Tonight Show and CBS’ The Late Show. Nightline aired the top broadcast in late-night during the May 2012 sweep in Total Viewers (5/22/12), Adults 25-54 (5/22/12) and Adults 18-49 (5/10/12).
During the week, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live surged over the prior week by 14% in Total Viewers to draw its 3rd-largest audience of the season. In addition, JKL grew its overall audience over the year-ago week by 4%, marking the ABC program’s 7th time in the last 8 weeks to build year over year in Total Viewers. During the recently completed 2012 May Sweep, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live grew over the year-ago sweep to attract its biggest-ever audience for a May sweep. The ABC late-night program saw growth over the 2012 February Sweep of 10% in Total Viewers and 2% in Adults 18-49 to stand as the only late-night broadcast talk show to post gains. For the complete 2011-12 Broadcast TV Season, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live grew its overall audience over the prior season by 3% in Total Viewers to generate its most-watched season in 5 years – since the 2006-07 season. In fact, JKL grew for the 2nd consecutive year to deliver its 2nd-most-watched season in its 10-year history (behind only the 2006-07 season).
(source: ABC)
