Nightline Beats Out Letterman For First Time In 10 Years During Second Quarter

For the first time in 10 years, ABC News “Nightline” beat out CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman” for total viewers, as well as in the A25-54 demographic, in the second quarter. The last time Nightline outperformed Letterman was in 2000.

The late-night news program also had its most second quarter viewers in six years.

Versus the competition, Letterman and NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Nightline was the only show to increase since the same time last year. In the A25-54 demographic, Nightline‘s viewership increased by 6 percent, while Leno‘s and Letterman‘s fell by 27 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Among total viewers, the ABC program’s viewership grew 2 percent. In another blow to the late-night comedian, Leno’s A25-54 and total viewers for the second quarter were the lowest in at least 18 years. Letterman’s total viewers are the lowest since 1993.

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