Leno’s last ‘Tonight’ draws 14.6 million, exceeds first farewell; biggest audience in 15 years

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Billy Crystal, left, talks to host Jay Leno during the final taping of NBC\'s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," in Burbank, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014. Leno brings his 22-year career as the show host to an end Thursday in a special one-hour farewell broadcast. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – NBC says Jay Leno’s farewell “Tonight Show” drew the late-night program’s biggest audience in more than 15 years.

A total of 14.6 million viewers tuned in Thursday to see Leno wrap up his 22 years as host of “Tonight,” according to Nielsen company figures released by NBC.

The audience was the biggest since May 14, 1998, when Jerry Seinfeld appeared on “Tonight” to mark the end of his sitcom. That drew nearly 15 million viewers.

Leno’s first goodbye to “Tonight,” in 2009, had 11.9 million viewers.

“Tonight” had been averaging less than 4 million nightly viewers in the past year.

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