Late Night Ratings: Leno, Fallon Top May Sweep

Kimmel posts big year-over-year gains with move to 11:35 p.m

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/31/2013 2:39:28 PM

Jay Leno is still the king of late night.

NBC's The Tonight Show won the May sweep in both total viewers and the adults 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen, averaging 3.5 million viewers and a 0.8 rating in the demo for the period.

In its first May sweep at 11:35 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel Live was second in the demo with a 0.7 rating with adults 18-49 (up 19% over May 2012), though the ABC talker came in third behind CBS in total viewers with 2.5 million (up 31%). The Late Show with David Letterman drew 2.8 million viewers and a 0.6 rating with viewers 18-49.

Leno's successor Jimmy Fallon also topped his 12:35 p.m. time period with Late Night averaging 1.7 million viewers and a 0.5 rating in the demo. CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson was second in the demo with a 0.4 rating, though ABC's Nightline, which is just a half-hour, drew more total viewers, with 1.6 million viewers to Late Late Show's 1.4 million. Nightline was third in the 18-49 demo with a 0.3 rating.