Jay Leno's last 'Tonight Show' draws biggest audience since 1998

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Jay Leno arrives at the “Tonight Show” studios in a Hudson Hornet on Jan. 28, 2014, in Burbank. Leno has hosted the show from 1992 to 2009 and began his second tenure on March 1, 2010, and will end as host of the show on Feb. 6, 2014, ending 22 years as a talk show host. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Leno exits his Hudson Hornet. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno in a studio hallway. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno plays a Peter Pan Gramophone in the rehearsal room of “The Tonight Show” band. Behind Leno is Rickey Minor, musical director and bandleader. In the early 1920s, ultra-portable folding gramophones were in vogue. The Peter Pan Gramophone folded ingeniously into a space a little larger than a box camera and was often known by the nickname “cameraphone.” (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno meets with writers during a pitch meeting in his office. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno reviews cue cards before the show’s taping. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno has some lunch. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno gets a haircut prior to taping. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno goes through hair and makeup at the “Tonight Show” studios. On the wall are photographs of some of Leno’s classic cars that he has driven to the studio and were photographed by his makeup artist Franz Hahn. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno jokingly reacts a magazine article about him. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno reviews notes at his desk on the set. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno on the set during rehearsal. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno during rehearsal. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno looks at a monitor during rehearsal. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno chats with Dwight Yoakam in Yoakam’s dressing room before the taping of that evening’s show. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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A poster on the floor of Jay Leno’s office. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Audience members wait to enter the taping. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Lynn Frasier and her daughter Stephanie Frasier smile for NBC Universal photographer Paul Drinkwater outside the “Tonight Show” studios. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno greets an audience member. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno talks with the audience just before taping begins. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno greets an audience member before taping begins. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno gets some last-minute adjustments by a crew member backstage before entering the stage to perform his monologue. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno is handed a glass of water by Joe Drago just before entering the stage for his opening monologue. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno talks with executive producer Debbie Vickers before taping. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno goes over cue cards. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno performs his opening monologue. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno with guest Thomas Haden Church during the show’s taping. The kittens are a gift from Church. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno holds the kittens given to him during the show. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno is seen from behind his desk during a commercial break. Comedian-actress Wanda Sykes, getting makeup adjustments, is his first guest of the evening for the taping of Jan. 28. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Wanda Sykes and Jay Leno. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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The audience applauds during taping. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno performs his opening monologue. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno watches Dwight Yoakam perform. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno with guests Dwight Yoakam, left, Wanda Sykes and Thomas Haden Church at the show’s conclusion. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Leno during his opening monologue. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

By Ryan Faughnder

Feb. 7, 2014 12:48 PM PT

Jay Leno went out with a bang.

According to preliminary Nielsen numbers, 14.6 million people watched Leno hang it up as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show.” It was the biggest audience Leno has had in more than 15 years.

The last time “The Tonight Show” averaged more viewers was the night of the “Seinfeld” series finale in May, 1998. That episode, which featured Jerry Seinfeld as a guest, brought in nearly 15 million people.

PHOTOS: Jay Leno’s career in pictures

It was Leno’s fourth-largest “Tonight Show” audience ever. Besides the “Seinfeld” finale telecast, the only stronger pulls were the night of the “Cheers” finale (22.4 million) and Leno’s 1992 debut (16.1 million).

For the final bow, “The Tonight Show” brought on a plethora of celebrities, including longtime friends and mainstay punchlines of the veteran host.

The 63-year-old Leno, who took over the show in 1992 from Johnny Carson, was joined in his last episode by Billy Crystal, who was also Leno’s first guest. Crystal led a rendition of “So Long, Farewell” that included appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Jack Black, Carol Burnett, Sheryl Crow, Jim Parsons, Kim Kardashian and Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul.

Steve Carell, Miley Cyrus, Martha Stewart and Matt Damon were among the celebrities who contributed taped goodbyes. Country singer Garth Brooks was the musical guest for the send-off.

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

Jimmy Fallon, who will take over “The Tonight Show” later this month, followed Leno with a little more than 6 million viewers, his best number since his post-Super Bowl telecast in 2012.

Counting only regularly scheduled episodes, the Leno-boosted “Late Night” drew its highest viewership since 1993, which was the last David Letterman-hosted telecast of the franchise.

The build-up to Leno’s exit has made for strong ratings in his final weeks.

Leno’s second-to-last week scored his biggest audience since 2010, averaging 4.99 million viewers and 1.42 million in the key demo. That’s the best since the host’s first week back on the show in March 2010 after the botched hand-off to Conan O’Brien.

Fallon also had his biggest overall weekly viewership since 2009 with an average of 2.38 million tuning in. Both hosts out-delivered their time-slot talk show competition for the week.

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ryan.faughnder@latimes.com

Twitter: @rfaughnder