'Comics Unleashed' 11:35 Debut Draws 995K Viewers,

Key Points:

• Byron Allen’s 11:35 p.m. debut of Comics Unleashed on CBS drew 995,000 total viewers and 116,000 viewers in the 18–49 demo for its first half-hour, with the second half-hour repeat attracting 600,000 viewers and 55,000 in the demo, according to preliminary Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings.
• Compared to the previous night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert finale, Comics Unleashed was down 85% in total viewers and 95% among younger viewers, and it also trailed behind NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! in national ratings.
• Locally, Allen Media Group reported that Comics Unleashed outperformed Fallon and/or Kimmel in over two dozen markets, presenting a more positive picture of the show’s initial performance on CBS.
• The show operates on a different financial model, with Allen paying CBS for the time slot and selling advertising spots directly, allowing it to be produced at a fraction of the cost of traditional late-night programs.
• Allen Media Group’s other CBS debut, Funny You Should Ask, also premiered Friday night, airing after a time-delayed Late Night with Seth Meyers.