August 2024 Late Night Ratings: The Late Show, The Daily Show Receive Boost From DNC Shows

Note: Nielsen ratings for new, first-run episodes are included below. Data for repeat telecasts is excluded from this report, with the exception of After Midnight, which exclusively aired repeats in August .

Late-night’s quiet summer continued in August, as the broadcast networks aired more repeats than new episodes of their respective late-night shows. Despite this trend, a familiar face emerged as the Nielsen ratings winner for a repeat-heavy month: CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

Featuring live shows during the Democratic National Convention, The Late Show averaged more total viewers and P18-49 viewers in August 2024 than its late-night counterparts, 2,427,000 and 255,000, respectively. That’s based on Nielsen live-plus-seven-day data for eight new episodes in August. The Late Show gained +1% in total viewers and held steady in P18-49 viewers from its July 2024 Nielsen averages.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon finished second at 11:35 p.m. last month, both in total viewers (1,078,000) and among P18-49 (176,000). For eight new episodes, Fallon shed -23% in total viewers and -19% in P18-49 from the show’s Olympics-boosted July.

Featuring rotating celebrity guest hosts throughout the month, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! brought up the rear in August, averaging 1,030,000 total viewers with 142,000 P18-49 for eight new episodes. That’s -12% and -8%, respectively, from the show’s July 2024 averages.

At 12:35 a.m., NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers took first place. Similar to its Tonight Show lead-in, Meyers presented eight new episodes in August, and they averaged 816,000 total viewers with 122,000 P18-49. That’s -12% and -14%, respectively, from the show’s July averages.

ABC News’ Nightline aired 20 new, half-hour episodes in August, and they averaged 677,000 total viewers with 96,000 P18-49. That’s -1% and +4%, respectively, from the show’s July performance in those measurements.

CBS’ 12:35 a.m. offering, After Midnight, aired exclusively repeats in August. Those 20 rebroadcasts averaged 517,000 total viewers and 91,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-seven-day data.

Similar to Colbert, The Daily Show broadcasted live from Chicago during DNC week. The decision paid off for Comedy Central, with TDS gaining +1% in total viewers and +13% in P18-49 viewers in August vs. July. (1,029,000 total viewers; 185,000 P18-49 over 16 first-run episodes).

Live+7 ratings (Viewers 2+)

Live+7 ratings (18-49 Demo)

© The Nielsen Company, used under license.