• Variety, Monday, December 14, 2009 11:26 PM

According to Nielsen data, "Leno" boasted more "product placement activity" -- 1,015 mentions -- than any other regularly scheduled broadcast and cable series in 2009. The next was USA's "WWE Monday Night Raw" was next, with 787 occurrences, followed by NBC's "The Biggest Loser" (704) and Fox's "American Idol" (553).

According to Nielsen, "product placement activity" includes both paid appearances and unpaid mentions, particularly for the "Leno" stats. Plus, "Leno" mentions include times when the host or guests make off-the-cuff, unpaid mentions of products or even times when host Leno mocks a product in a sketch. Still, ad integration is key to the show; the Green Car Challenge sponsored by Ford is the most noticeable.

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