Leno's ratings trail Conan's in the 18-49 demographic

Jay Leno's overall audience is bigger than Conan O'Brien's was in the Tonight Show chair, but it's way off what Leno used to get. And in the key demographic that advertisers look for, well, Leno is no Conan. Oh the irony. James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter:

In fact, this summer is the lowest-rated "Tonight" on record, though such feats have become increasingly common on broadcast across the board.

Since the end of the broadcast season, Leno is averaging 3.8 million viewers and a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating. That's a 12% improvement in total audience compared with O'Brien, though off 23% in the demo and down in both measurements compared with Leno's performance two years ago. His percentages greatly improve if comparisons begin a few weeks deeper into the summer so "Tonight" is not facing O'Brien's opening weeks hosting the show, though O'Brien is tops in the demo either way.

Some things never change: Leno is still beating David Letterman.

Jay Leno on Mulholland Drive: Ted Soqui