News/Campaigns/Administration

Obama interview delivers Leno a ratings win

President Obama’s appearance on the “Tonight Show” Thursday night brought the NBC program its fourth-highest rating under host Jay Leno’s tutelage, and its best ratings in four years.

The Obama interview, the first on-set interview of a sitting president on late night TV, drew a 11.2/26 rating.

(That means 11.2 percent of households tuned in, and 26 percent of households watching TV opted to watch the interview. According to a rough estimate, that would mean between 12 and 15 million households watched the interview.)

The Obama interview tied the Tonight Show’s tribute to former host Johnny Carson, Broadcasting & Cable reported.

The higher-rated shows include Leno’s first night as host, and the shows following the finales of TV shows “Cheers” and “Seinfeld.”