Late Night Ratings: Wednesday, May 22, 2024

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

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon continues to thrive on Wednesdays, particularly in the P18-49 demo, while CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert continues to average the most total viewers at 11:35 p.m.

Per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, The Tonight Show averaged 1,533,000 total viewers with a late night-high 257,000 P18-49 viewers on Wednesday, May 22, 202. That’s up +17% and +16%, respectively, from the night before (May 21), -3% and +0.4%, respectively, from the previous Wednesday episode (May 15). Jeremy Renner, and Jay Pharoah were Fallon’s Tonight Show guests this past Wednesday. The Avett Brothers performed on the program.

Colbert’s Late Show averaged 1,714,000 total viewers with 245,000 P18-49 viewers on Wednesday, May 22. That’s -17% and -4%, respectively, from the night before, -10% and +12%, respectively, from the prior Wednesday episode. Anya Taylor-Joy, and Doug Emhoff were Colbert’s guests. Angie Swan and Lakecia Benjamin sat in with Louis Cato & the Late Show Band once again.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!  averaged 1,643,000 total viewers with 207,000 P18-49 viewers this past Wednesday at 11:35 p.m. That’s up +5% in total viewers, but -6% in P18-49 from the night before. ABC did not submit ratings data to Nielsen for last week’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! rebroadcasts. However, compared to the show’s most recent first-run Wednesday episode (May 8), the May 22 JKL gained +10% in total viewers but shed -13% in P18-49. Amy Poehler, and Patton Oswalt were Kimmel’s guests this past Wednesday. Slash performed on the program.

NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers is dark this week (preceding the Memorial Day holiday), and televised a rebroadcast of its April 11, 2024 episode this past Wednesday. The rebroadcast averaged 813,000 total viewers with 127,000 P18-49 viewers. That’s up +7% in total viewers, but -7% in P18-49 viewers from the night before (also a repeat); -14% and -24%, respectively, from previous Wednesday episode (a new one).

CBS’ After Midnight hosted by Taylor Tomlinson averaged 554,000 total viewers with 114,000 P18-49 on Wednesday, per live-plus-same-day data. After solid ratings on Tuesday, After Midnight dropped by -29% in total viewers and -30% in P18-49 demo viewers. The program did improve by +14% in total viewers and +52% in P18-49 demo viewers from the previous Wednesday episode. Andy Richter, Penn Jilette, and Aasif Mandvi appeared on the May 22 episode.

ABC’s Nightline aired a new episode this past Wednesday, which averaged 856,000 total viewers with 102,000 P18-49 viewers. That represents a -10% drop off in total viewers, and a -24% drop off in P18-49 viewers from the night before. It did improve by +37% in total viewers and +7% in P18-49 viewers from the previous Wednesday episode.

Lastly, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the Michael Kosta-led Daily Show averaged 442,000 total viewers with 114,000 P18-49 viewers on Wednesday, May 22 at 11 p.m. That’s up +2% and +24%, respectively, from the previous night’s episode; _8% in total viewers and +56% in P18-49 viewers from the previous Wednesday episode (hosted by Desi Lydic). JB Smoove was Kosta’s guest on Wednesday’s Daily Show.

Live+SD ratings (18-49 demo only)

Live+SD ratings (All Viewers 2+)

© The Nielsen Company, used under license.