Colbert’s Late Show Takes April’s 11:35 Ratings Crown

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was a ratings winner in Stephen Colbert’s second-to-last month behind the desk, with the CBS late-night show taking the top spot at 11:35 p.m. and standing as the only program in its time slot to post gains both in total viewers and among adults 18–49.

According to Nielsen Live+7 ratings data, Colbert’s Late Show averaged 2.81 million total viewers in April, up 5% from March. Jimmy Kimmel Live! placed second in the hour with 2.48 million viewers, down 2% month-over-month, while NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon averaged 1.21 million viewers, down 12%.

Among younger viewers, Colbert averaged 249,000, up 6% from March. Kimmel followed with 221,000, down 20%, while Fallon rose 8% to 202,000.

At 12:37 a.m., ABC’s Nightline and NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers split the month’s wins. Nightline led in total viewers, averaging 961,000, while Late Night took the demo crown with 173,000 adults 18–49.

Nightline was down 4% in total viewers and 11% in the demo month-over-month, while Meyers fell 13% overall but climbed 9% among adults 18–49.

Fox News’s Gutfeld!, which airs at 10 p.m. ET, once again drew the largest overall audience among the shows we track, averaging 3.29 million total viewers. That was down 6% from March. In the demo, Gutfeld! averaged 254,000 viewers, down 9%.

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show was the field’s demo leader for the month, averaging 278,000 adults 18–49, up 7% from March. The show also rose 6% in total viewers, averaging 1.20 million.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 357,000 total viewers in April, down 5% month-over-month, but up 18% to 118,000 viewers in the demo.

Year-Over-Year (vs. April 2025)

In what’s become a trend over recent months, the total audience across all shows tracked by LateNighter grew 7% among total viewers and 10% in adults 18–49 in April compared to the same month last year, with all but one program posting gains in at least one of the two ratings measurements.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Show led the way, with Kimmel boasting a 35% jump in total viewers and a 25% gain in the demo year-over-year, while the Comedy Central staple rose 28% overall and 36% among adults 18–49.

Elsewhere, the picture was more mixed: Late Night with Seth Meyers saw the month’s biggest demo increase, rising 45% among adults 18–49 despite slipping 3% overall; The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was up 13% in total viewers while dipping 1% in the demo; The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was down 7% in total viewers but up 16% in the demo; Gutfeld! slipped 6% overall but ticked up 2% among adults 18–49; and Nightline rose 8% in total viewers despite falling 15% in the demo.

The only program down in both measurements was Watch What Happens Live, which fell 18% in total viewers and 23% in the demo.

Complete ratings charts for April 2026 follow below.

Note: Monthly ratings averages include only first-run episodes. Time period listed is most common airtime for each show.

Live+ 7 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)

Live+ 7 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.