Note: LateNighter generally posts late night weekly live-plus-three ratings on a three (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen.
Most of the late-night shows were dark for the entire week starting on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27). ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! was the exception this year, airing Wednesday, May 29 through Friday, May 31, and going on to win the weekly late-night ratings race by a substantial margin.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 1,763,000 total viewers with 209,000 P18-49 viewers for the week starting May 27, 2024, per live-plus-three data from Nielsen. That’s +9% in total viewers and +2% in P18-49 from the week before (beginning May 20). The show’s week-to-week gains were driven by Kimmel’s Trump guilty verdict-focused episode on Thursday, May 30, which drew the show’s largest total live-plus-same-day audience in more than six months.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired three new episodes last week (Wednesday, May 29-Friday, May 31), and rebroadcast old ones on Memorial Day Monday as well as Tuesday. The program aired three new episodes during the week of May 20 as well.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired exclusively rebroadcasts last week, which averaged 1,279,000 total viewers with 175,000 P18-49 viewers, per Nielsen live-plus-three data. That’s -41% in total viewers and -35% in P18-49 viewers compared with the week prior, when The Late Show aired four new episodes (Monday-Thursday).
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon also exclusively aired rebroadcasts at 11:35 p.m. last week. Those five telecasts averaged 1,166,000 total viewers with 155,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-three data. That’s -16% in total viewers and -30% in P18-49 viewers from the week prior, when The Tonight Show aired four new episodes (Monday-Thursday).
Following The Tonight Show, NBC aired rebroadcasts of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:37 a.m. on Memorial Day (May 27) through Friday, May 31. Per Nielsen live-plus-same-three data, the show’s Monday-Friday rebroadcasts averaged 676,000 total viewers and 109,000 P18-49 viewers. That’s -8% in total viewers and -13% in P18-49 viewers from the week prior (beginning May 20). Late Night with Seth Meyers was dark the week before as well, and its week of May 20 ratings are also based off of five days of rebroadcasts.
Following Colbert, CBS aired rebroadcasts of After Midnight at 12:37 a.m. on Memorial Day Monday through Friday, May 31. The show’s Monday-Friday rebroadcasts averaged 529,000 total viewers and 110,000 P18-49 viewers. That’s -17% in total viewers and -23% in P18-49 viewers from the week prior (beginning May 20). After Midnight aired new episodes on Monday through Thursday the week before, with a repeat on Friday.
Following Kimmel, ABC’s Nightline averaged a timeslot-high 895,000 total viewers with 123,000 P18-49 for the week of May 27. That represents a -3% decline in total viewers, but a +6% gain in P18-49 viewers from the week prior. Nightline’s week of May 27 averages are based off of four days of new episodes (Monday-Thursday), which was also true the week before.
ABC News did not submit Monday, May 27 Nightline viewing data to Nielsen, which is typical of news divisions for episodes airing on or leading up to a federal holiday (the network did the same for Nightline‘s Friday, May 24, 2024 episode).
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show did not air last week.
Live+3 ratings (18-49 demo only)
| Network | Show Name | Viewers | % Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:35 PM | |||
| ABC | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 209,000 | 3.19 |
| CBS | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (R) | 175,000 | 2.68 |
| NBC | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (R) | 155,000 | 2.39 |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| ABC | Nightline | 123,000 | 2.46 |
| CBS | After Midnight (R) | 110,000 | 2.38 |
| NBC | Late Night With Seth Meyers (R) | 109,000 | 2.32 |
Live+3 ratings (All Viewers 2+)
| Network | Show Name | Total Viewers | % Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:35 PM | |||
| ABC | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 1,763,000 | 5.73 |
| CBS | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (R) | 1,279,000 | 4.22 |
| NBC | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (R) | 1,166,000 | 3.86 |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| ABC | Nightline | 895,000 | 3.91 |
| CBS | After Midnight (R) | 529,000 | 2.54 |
| NBC | Late Night With Seth Meyers (R) | 676,000 | 3.20 |
© The Nielsen Company, used under license.
