Note: LateNighter generally posts late night daily ratings on a two (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen.
With the 2024 Democratic National Convention now complete, late-night shows returned to their traditional time slots on Friday.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon went on to split first place.
CBS, ABC and NBC aired rebroadcasts of their late-night programming this past Friday, with CBS’ re-airing The Late Show‘s Monday, August 19 episode. That telecast averaged 1,379,000 total viewers with 179,000 P18-49 at 11:35 p.m., per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That represents a -30% drop-off in total viewers, and a -29% drop-off among P18-49 viewers from the previous day’s first-run episode (which received a boost from post-DNC coverage). Converse, the telecast gained +5% in total viewers and +23% in P18-49 from the previous Friday’s Late Show telecast (also a rebroadcast).
Elsewhere, NBC re-aired a repeat of the July 18, 2024 Tonight Show, and the telecast averaged 999,000 total viewers with a timeslot-high 212,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s +12% and +15%, respectively, from the previous day’s first-run episode; -10% and +12%, respectively, from the most recent Friday telecast (a rebroadcast on August 16).
ABC re-aired Jimmy Kimmel Live! ‘s June 26, 2024 episode this past Friday at 11:35 p.m., and the telecast averaged 928,000 total viewers with 146,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -6% and -14%, respectively, from the previous day’s first-run episode; -8% and -5%, respectively, from the previous Friday’s Kimmel (also a rebroadcast).
Following Kimmel, ABC News’ Nightline averaged 657,000 total viewers with 134,000 P18-49 at 12:35 a.m., per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s +5% and +33%, respectively, from Thursday’s episode; -10% and +28%, respectively, from the previous Friday’s episode.
Following Fallon, NBC re-aired a repeat of the August 12, 2024 Late Night with Seth Meyers, and the telecast averaged 568,000 total viewers with 107,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -5% and -2%, respectively, from the previous day’s first-run episode; -13% and -33%, respectively, from the previous Friday telecast (a rebroadcast).
Following Colbert, CBS’ re-aired After Midnight‘s July 17, 2024 episode, and the telecast averaged 562,000 total viewers with 106,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -11% and -9%, respectively, from the previous day’s After Midnight (also a rebroadcast); -12% and +15%, respectively, from the previous Friday’s telecast (another rebroadcast).
Live+SD ratings (18-49 demo only)
| Network | Show Name | Viewers | % Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:35 PM | |||
| ABC | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (R, 6/26/24) | 146,000 | 2.37 |
| CBS | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (R, 8/19/24) | 178,000 | 2.92 |
| NBC | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (R, 7/18/24) | 212,000 | 3.46 |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| ABC | *Nightline | 134,000 | 2.67 |
| CBS | After Midnight (R, 7/17/24) | 106,000 | 2.24 |
| NBC | Late Night with Seth Meyers (R, 8/12/24) | 107,000 | 2.27 |
(R) = Rebroadcast
Live+SD ratings (All Viewers 2+)
| Network | Show Name | Total Viewers | % Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:35 PM | |||
| ABC | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (R, 6/26/24) | 928,000 | 3.18 |
| CBS | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (R, 8/19/24) | 1.379,000 | 4.81 |
| NBC | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (R, 7/18/24) | 999,000 | 3.47 |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| ABC | *Nightline | 657,000 | 2.95 |
| CBS | After Midnight (R, 7/17/24) | 562,000 | 2.71 |
| NBC | Late Night with Seth Meyers (R, 8/12/24) | 568,000 | 2.75 |
(R) = Rebroadcast
© The Nielsen Company, used under license.
