Weekly Ratings: Kimmel Outdraws Byron Allen by Nearly 5 to 1

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Sports continued to pay dividends for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with a mix of NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final lead-ins helping propel the ABC late-night show to its highest-rated week since the week of Kimmel’s return from suspension in September 2025.

According to Nielsen Live+3 ratings data for the week of June 8, 2026, Kimmel averaged 3.07 million total viewers (+6 percent) and 551,000 adults 18–49 (+7 percent) across four original episodes and one repeat, easily leading the 11:35 p.m. field in both key measurements.

The scale of Kimmel’s lead was striking. His weekly average more than doubled that of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and exceeded the combined audience of CBS’ two nightly Comics Unleashed telecasts by nearly 5-to-1.

The week’s biggest audience came Monday following Game 3 of the NBA Finals, when Jimmy Kimmel Live! drew 3.85 million total viewers and 805,000 adults 18–49. Wednesday’s post-Game 4 episode also delivered strong returns with 3.41 million viewers and 737,000 adults 18–49. Together, the two telecasts ranked among the show’s most-watched episodes of the season.

ABC’s Nightline also benefited from the network’s sports-heavy week, climbing to 1.25 million total viewers (+7 percent) and 267,000 adults 18–49 (+25 percent).

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon averaged 1.37 million total viewers (flat) and 190,000 adults 18–49 (+16 percent) across four original episodes and one repeat.

On CBS, the first half-hour of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen averaged 768,000 total viewers (–2 percent) and 85,000 adults 18–49 (+6 percent) across five first-run episodes, while a second telecast at 12:05 a.m. averaged 532,000 viewers (+2 percent) and 60,000 adults 18–49 (+6 percent).

Taken together, the two Comics Unleashed telecasts averaged 650,000 total viewers and 73,000 adults 18–49, essentially flat with the prior week.

Allen’s companion series, Funny You Should Ask, remained relatively stable as well. Its 12:35 a.m. telecast averaged 385,000 total viewers (+1 percent) and 49,000 adults 18–49 (+15 percent), while its 1:05 a.m. airing averaged 433,000 viewers (–2 percent) and 51,000 adults 18–49 (–4 percent).

At 12:37 a.m., NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers averaged 905,000 total viewers (+1 percent) and 124,000 adults 18–49 (+21 percent) across four original episodes and one repeat.

Switching to cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! averaged 2.85 million total viewers (–4 percent) from five first-run episodes. In the demo, the show delivered 183,000 adults 18–49 (–14 percent).

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show averaged 1.03 million total viewers (–1 percent) and 199,000 adults 18–49 (–1 percent) across four original episodes, three of them hosted by Desi Lydic.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 290,000 total viewers (–18 percent) and 74,000 adults 18–49 (–29 percent) across four original episodes.

Complete ratings charts for the week of June 8, 2026, follow below.

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

Live+ 3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)

Avg Share
(%)
Avg Viewers
(000’s)
Vs
Last Wk
10:00 PM
Gutfeld! (FNC)†
5 first-run episodes
5.492,847-4%
Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)*
4 first-run episodes
0.62290-18%
11:00 PM
The Daily Show (COM)*
4 first-run episodes
2.641,029-1%
11:35 PM
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
12.783,066+6%
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
4.981,3700%
Comics Unleashed (CBS)*
5 first-run episodes
2.56768-2%
12:05 AM
Comics Unleashed (CBS)*
5 repeats
2.27532+2%
12:35 AM
Funny You Should Ask (CBS)*
5 repeats
2.23385+1%
12:37 AM
Nightline (ABC)*
5 first-run episodes
7.201,250+7%
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
5.10905+1%
1:05 AM
Funny You Should Ask (CBS)*
5 repeats
2.39433-2%
† = airs at 7:00 p.m. PT, * = 30-minute program

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

US Share
(%)
US AA Proj
(000’s)
Vs
Last Wk
10:00 PM
Gutfeld! (FNC)†
5 first-run episodes
1.52183-14%
Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)*
4 first-run episodes
0.8174-29%
11:00 PM
The Daily Show (COM)*
4 first-run episodes
2.21199-1%
11:35 PM
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
11.02551+7%
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
3.21190+16%
Comics Unleashed (CBS)*
5 first-run episodes
1.3385+6%
12:05 AM
Comics Unleashed (CBS)*
5 repeats
1.2260+6%
12:35 AM
Funny You Should Ask (CBS)*
5 repeats
1.2649+15%
12:37 AM
Nightline (ABC)*
5 first-run episodes
7.47267+25%
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat
3.34124+21%
1:05 AM
Funny You Should Ask (CBS)*
5 repeats
1.4751-4%
† = airs at 7:00 p.m. PT, * = 30-minute program

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.

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