Kimmel beats Letterman: Jimmy Kimmel Live ratings explode in new timeslot with 3.1 million viewers

Jimmy Kimmel's surely hoping that this is a sign of things to come.

On Tuesday night, his debut in the competitive 11:35 p.m. timeslot, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" saw 3.1 million viewers tuning in. According to ABC, it was the show's second most-watched telecast.

On average, the show would draw 1.9 million viewers when it aired at midnight.

But perhaps more important for Jay Leno and David Letterman was how well Kimmel performed against their competing programs.

In terms of total viewers, Leno edged out Kimmel with 3.27 million watching "The Tonight Show." Letterman's "Late Show," over on CBS, brought in 2.88 million.