Some folks are saying Conan O’Brien‘s ratings aren’t very good, because he’s getting beaten regularly by rivals Jay Leno and David Letterman. First, please take a moment to “boo” the name Jay Leno out loud in front of your computer.

Done? Good. Now, here’s the problem: “Conan” on TBS seems to always have less total viewers and often less 18-49 year old viewers than the shows of his older counterparts. However, thanks to newfangled TV gadgets, we now have “plus 7 ratings,” which counts viewers who watch a show on DVR up to 7 days after recording it (and has nothing to do with sneaking way too many of your friends into a party).

If you factor in O’Brien’s plus 7, as his William Morris Endeavor agent Rick Rosen said he does in a recent statement, then Coco is a Hit-O.

“The ratings system needs to catch up to the viewing patterns and the world,” declared Rosen, adding: “To me it’s the most significant challenge to television today.”

Conan‘s audience is younger too. On average, O’Brien’s audience is a Twitter-Trackin’ 34, compared to Leno and Letterman’s Twitter-Fearin’ mid-50s. So maybe “size” isn’t everything. Being young and gangly counts for something too. (Hollywood Reporter)