Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/TV
TV

‘Arsenio Hall Show’ Debuts to Top Ratings

Posted byBy A Moore | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

“The Arsenio Hall Show“ returned to late night TV with a bang on Monday, as fan viewership lifted the debut of the new syndicated show to the top of the late-night ratings in the biggest 25 cities.

These early ratings are limited in reach and don’t include total viewer totals, but the numbers are evidence that Arsenio Hall’s 20-year hiatus from late-night TV hasn’t damaged his ability to draw viewers.

In the 25 cities, “The Arsenio Hall Show” averaged a 1.0 rating in the sought-after demographic of viewers between the ages of 18 and 49.

That rating was bigger in those cities than Jimmy Kimmel on ABC (0.8); Jay Leno on NBC (0.6); or David Letterman on CBS (0.5). In Los Angeles, where the show is broadcast on the KTLA TV station, the show was No. 1 in its time period, with an excellent 3.2 household rating.

Of course, this is only the beginning and the show’s initial ratings pale in comparison to first-night numbers for other late-night rivals, who scored several times as high in the ratings for their premiere shows.

For example, as the New York Times reports, “when Conan O’Brien took over the “Tonight” show in 2009 he attracted over nine million viewers and scored a 3.8 rating that 18-49 group.”

Hall will have to remain close to those numbers to compete with the other late-night talk shows for top-tier guests. He has already proven that he remains likable and is good at his job. The next few weeks will determine if Arsenio’s show has a future or not.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top