Weekly Ratings: Seth Meyers Returns Strong as 12:30 Hour Ratings Jump

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There were big gains in the 12:30 hour last week for Late Night with Seth Meyers and Funny You Should Ask, with Meyers returning strongly from an extended summer break.

In its first week of new episodes since late July, NBC’s Late Night averaged 968,000 total viewers for the week of Sept. 20, up 44 percent from the previous week, while climbing 29 percent among adults 18–49 to 122,000. Meyers aired four first-run episodes and one repeat after spending seven weeks off the air.

CBS’ Funny You Should Ask also saw sizable gains in the same part of the night. Across its full hour, the Byron Allen-produced game show averaged approximately 451,000 total viewers, up about 9 percent week over week, and 63,000 adults 18–49, up a whopping 64 percent.

The first half-hour of Funny You Should Ask aired its first fresh episodes since the show joined CBS’ late-night lineup in May, with four originals and one repeat averaging 489,000 total viewers and 69,000 in the demo. Its second half-hour remained entirely in repeats but also posted substantial gains.

At 11:35 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel Live! remained comfortably on top, averaging 2.562 million total viewers and 291,000 adults 18–49 across four first-run episodes and one repeat. Those figures were down 1 percent and 6 percent, respectively, from the show’s especially strong week before.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon moved in the opposite direction, averaging 1.406 million total viewers, up 4 percent, and 186,000 adults 18–49, up 13 percent. Like Kimmel, Tonight aired four originals and one repeat.

The first half-hour of CBS’ Comics Unleashed also returned to first-run episodes after more than a month of repeats. Across the full hour, the show averaged approximately 647,000 total viewers, up about 7 percent week over week, and 86,000 adults 18–49, up about 33 percent.

The Daily Show aired its first full four-show week since returning from summer hiatus, with Jon Stewart back in his usual Monday chair after missing the previous week. All told, the Comedy Central series averaged 931,000 total viewers, up 12 percent, and 152,000 adults 18–49, up 11 percent.

ABC’s Nightline averaged 1.078 million total viewers across five first-run episodes, essentially unchanged week to week, while its adults 18–49 audience slipped 3 percent to 156,000.

Fox News’ Gutfeld! averaged 2.138 million total viewers across five first-run episodes, down 2 percent, while rising 4 percent in the demo to 152,000.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 361,000 total viewers across five first-run episodes, up 17 percent week over week, while dipping 4 percent among adults 18–49 to 94,000.

A reminder that linear ratings represent only one slice of the viewing audience, with additional viewing taking place on streaming services, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

Complete Nielsen Live+3 ratings for the week of Sept. 20–26, 2026, follow below.

Live+3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)

Live+3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.