ABC’s “Nightline” averaged 1.67 million Total Viewers in the first quarter of 2014, giving ABC its best performance in the 12:35amET time period during a Q1 in 11 years, but drawing less than half the audience than it did when it aired an hour earlier.
“Nightline” finished second in the time period, ahead of CBS’ “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” and behind NBC’s “Late Night,” which for the first half of Q1 was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and the second half by Seth Meyers. (NBC’s numbers below are of Meyers’s hosting of “Late Night” from Feb. 24-Feb. 30)
In January 2013, when “Nightline” was pushed back an hour to 12:35amET to make room for “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Nightline” had won its timeslot for three years against Jay Leno and David Letterman. In its final full season at 11:35pm (2011-2012), the show averaged 3.7 million viewers.
“Nightline” has beaten “Late Late Show” in viewers and in the A25-54 demo in all 5 quarters that it has aired in its new time period.
- Q1 2014:
Show Network Total Viewers A25-54 A18-49 Late Night NBC 2.247M 1.108M 1.014M Nightline ABC 1.666M 687K 524K Late Late Show CBS 1.447M 631K 506K