Weekly Ratings: Kimmel, Colbert Flip 11:35 Lead in Uneven Week

The 11:35 p.m. race flipped during the week of April 5, with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! overtaking CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert amid uneven scheduling across the late-night landscape.

Kimmel’s gains came as the ABC show returned to its usual schedule of four original episodes and a Friday repeat after airing five reruns the week prior, while The Late Show aired three new episodes and two repeats, with its Thursday and Friday broadcasts pushed later by CBS’ sports coverage.

According to Nielsen Live+3 ratings data, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 2.12 million total viewers for the week (+66 percent week-over-week), narrowly outpacing Late Show, which drew 2.06 million viewers (–17 percent). Kimmel also led in the demo, averaging 209,000 adults 18–49 (+73 percent) to Colbert’s 187,000 (–14 percent).

NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which aired repeats all week, averaged 1.08 million total viewers (–14 percent) and 137,000 adults 18–49 (–19 percent).

At 12:37 a.m., NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers also aired repeats throughout the week, averaging 686,000 total viewers (–5 percent) and 88,000 adults 18–49 (–20 percent). ABC’s Nightline, by contrast, posted gains, rising to 921,000 total viewers (+5 percent) and 99,000 adults 18–49 (+40 percent).

On cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld!—which aired four original episodes and was preempted Friday by Artemis II coverage—again delivered the largest overall audience among the shows we track, averaging 3.37 million total viewers (+1 percent) and 263,000 adults 18–49 (–10 percent).

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live were both dark for the week, with alternate programming filling their timeslots.

Complete ratings charts for the week of April 5, 2026, follow below.

Note: Time period listed is the most common airtime for each show.

Live+ 3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.