Viral videos: advertising or problem for late-night shows?

This post is not about a new web series, but about a very interesting topic I stumbled upon on THR website:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/unfunny-side-late-night-viral-73988
The article looks at the growing trend of must-watch videos and the danger it poses to late night television.

Do you remember the video in which then-Jimmy-Kimmel-girlfriend Sarah Silverman revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she is f*cking Matt Damon:

Or when late-night talker Jimmy Fallon covered Willow Smiths's "Whip my hair" as Neil Young:

Of course, we all remember these great bits from late-night shows that have gone viral on the internet. Now the article suggests that people don't watch the shows anymore, except for the just mentioned "best bits". Furthermore, they say that it's not just funny monologues or taped bits from the late-night hosts. But add in some great musical performances and pieces of celebrity interviews gone goofy or surreal, and you’ve got an environment that’s ideal for YouTube and Twitter. In fact, if you follow any TV critics or media outlets on Twitter, it’s almost impossible to go a single day without seeing links to funny or embarrassing moments from the late-night show hosts.

The question is whether those viral videos are the best source of free advertising in a highly competitive environment, or if this pop-culture link-excess of readily available “greatest hits from last night” is putting a real hurt on somebody’s ratings? What do you think?

I think it's great advertising for a show! When I was in L.A. in 2009, I went to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live. I haven't really heard of him before - all I knew was the famous Sarah Silverman video.