January Ratings: Colbert, Kimmel Split Again as Gutfeld, Daily Show Gain

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! kicked off 2026 in familiar fashion, splitting top honors at 11:35 p.m. for the fourth consecutive month. Colbert once again led the hour among total viewers, while Kimmel held onto first place in the advertiser-coveted adults 18–49 demographic.

According to Nielsen Live+7 ratings data for January, Colbert’s Late Show averaged 2.65 million total viewers, down 5% from December. Jimmy Kimmel Live! followed with 2.46 million viewers, up 3% month-over-month. NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remained third in the hour, averaging 1.22 million total viewers, a decline of 11%.

Among adults 18–49 at 11:35 p.m., Kimmel continued to lead with an average of 231,000 viewers in the demo. Colbert followed closely with 225,000, down 2% from December, while Fallon averaged 156,000 viewers, off 22% month-over-month.

Looking beyond the 11:35 p.m. hour, Fox News’s Gutfeld! once again delivered the largest overall audience across the shows we track. Airing at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT), the show averaged 3.05 million total viewers, up 14% from December, while also posting a 28% gain in the demo to 220,000 viewers.

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show led all tracked late-night programs among younger viewers in January. Airing at 11 p.m., the show averaged 232,000 adults 18–49—slightly edging out Kimmel for the highest demo audience overall—while growing 24% month-over-month. The Daily Show also averaged 1.02 million total viewers, up 11%, across 15 first-run episodes.

At 12:37 a.m., NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers and ABC’s Nightline finished the month essentially even among total viewers, averaging 968,000 and 957,000 respectively. Meyers dipped 2% among total viewers and 9% in the demo to 126,000, while Nightline declined 2% overall and fell 23% among adults 18–49 to 95,000.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 375,000 total viewers at 10 p.m., down 13% from December, while posting an 8% decline in the demo to 98,000 viewers across 19 first-run episodes.

Year-over-year, the total audience across all shows currently tracked by LateNighter declined by 2% among total viewers and -18% in the 18–49 demographic. Compared to January 2025, only three shows made gains: Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Daily Show. Kimmel grew 21% in total viewers and 4% in the demo, The Daily Show was up 16% and 13%, while Colbert increased 10% among total viewers (but fell 11% in the demo).

Complete ratings charts for January 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.