Late Night Ratings: Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Note: LateNighter generally posts late night daily ratings on a two (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen. 

CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earned a commanding ratings win on Wednesday, August 14, averaging the most total viewers and Adults 18-49 on late-night.

The Late Show averaged 2,058,000 total viewers with 225,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data on Wednesday. That represents a +1% in total viewers, and an +18% gain among P18-49 viewers from the previous day’s first-run episode. The show also gained +78% and +89%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday’s Late Show (a rebroadcast). Alex Wagner was Colbert’s guest on the CBS program, and Ali Macofsky made her TV stand up debut.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon finished second on Wednesday, having averaged 1,211,000 total viewers with 205,000 P18-49 in the 11:35 p.m. timeslot, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -1% and -8%, respectively, from the Tuesday’s episode; -1% and +13%, respectively, from the most recent Tuesday episode of The Tonight Show (July 24). The Tonight Show was preempted for the Olympics the past two weeks. Kim Kardashian, Daveed Diggs, and Charlie Vickers made guest appearances on the Wednesday August 14 episode, and Jessica Keenan performed her stand up act.

Jeff Goldblum guest-hosted ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the third consecutive night, and his Wednesday episode averaged 903,000 total viewers with 130,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -24% and -22%, respectively, from the previous day’s episode; +12% and -11%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday’s Kimmel (a rebroadcast). Greg Kinnear, and Janet McTeer made guest appearances on Wednesday’s episode.  Waxahatchee performed on the program.

Hitting fast-forward, the Wednesday, August 14 episode of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers averaged 828,000 total viewers with 140,000 P18-49 at 12:35 a.m., per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s +8% and +3%, respectively, from the day before; +25% and +10%, respectively, from the most recent Wednesday telecast (a rebroadcast on July 24). Late Night with Seth Meyers was preempted for Olympics programming the past two weeks, and aired reruns the week before. Casey Affleck, and Meredith Hagner were Meyers’ Late Night guests this past Wednesday. Todd Sucherman sat in with the 8G Band.

Following Colbert, CBS’ re-aired After Midnight‘s April 25, 2024 episode, and the telecast averaged 574,000 total viewers with 105,000 P18-49 at 12:35 a.m., per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -3% and +14%, respectively, from Tuesday’s telecast (also a rebroadcast); +51% and +62%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday’s telecast (another rebroadcast).

Following Kimmel, ABC News’ Nightline averaged 573,000 total viewers with only 76,000 P18-49 at 12:35 a.m., per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -21% and -28%, respectively, from Tuesday’s episode; -6% and -21%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday’s episode.

Guest-hosted by Desi Lydic, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show averaged only 396,000 total viewers with 72,000 P18-49 at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s -35% in total viewers, and -56% in P18-49 viewers from the previous day’s episode; -7% and -5%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday Daily Show. Actor Mark Duplass was Lydic’s Daily Show guest.

Live+SD ratings (18-49 demo only)

Live+SD ratings (All Viewers 2+)

© The Nielsen Company, used under license.