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The first full week of late night’s post-Late Show era was also an unusually disjointed one, with Memorial Day darkening several shows, others stretching the holiday into a weeklong break, and the NBA on NBC pushing The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon into unusually favorable lead-in territory.
The result was an almost entirely reshaped 11:35 p.m. landscape: ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! led in total viewers, The Tonight Show took the demo, and CBS’ new Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen block opened well below the audience levels established by Colbert.
According to Nielsen Live+3 ratings data for the week of May 24, 2026, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 2.43 million total viewers (+35 percent over the week prior) and 252,000 adults 18–49 (+31 percent) across three original episodes and two repeats. The Tonight Show, meanwhile, averaged 1.41 million total viewers (+6 percent) and 271,000 adults 18–49 (+3 percent), edging Kimmel among younger viewers despite airing repeats all week.
Fallon’s demo win was driven by NBC’s coverage of the Western Conference Finals. Following Game 5 between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder on May 26, The Tonight Show drew 1.66 million total viewers and 392,000 adults 18–49. Two nights later, after Game 6, the program delivered 1.70 million total viewers and 504,000 adults 18–49, helping lift its weekly average among younger viewers in particular.
On CBS, Comics Unleashed completed its first full week in Stephen Colbert’s former Late Show time period. The program’s 11:35 p.m. telecast averaged 885,000 total viewers and 94,000 adults 18–49 across five original episodes. A second repeat telecast at 12:05 a.m. averaged 590,000 viewers and 62,000 adults 18–49.
Combined, the show’s one-hour block averaged 737,000 total viewers and 78,000 adults 18–49, down sharply from Colbert’s Q1 2026 average of 2.70 million total viewers and 233,000 adults 18–49.
Funny You Should Ask, which aired its first full week on CBS, averaged 463,000 total viewers and 54,000 adults 18–49 at 12:35 a.m., followed by 398,000 viewers and 53,000 adults 18–49 at 1:05 a.m. Both telecasts aired repeats throughout the week.
At 12:37 a.m., ABC’s Nightline led the hour in total viewers, averaging 944,000 (+11 percent), while NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers topped the demo with 122,000 adults 18–49 (–2 percent). Nightline averaged 82,000 adults 18–49 (+3 percent), while Late Night, airing repeats all week, averaged 768,000 total viewers (+2 percent).
Switching to cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! averaged 2.84 million total viewers, a 4 percent week-to-week decline. The program drew 157,000 adults 18–49 (–19 percent).
The Daily Show was dark for the Memorial Day holiday week with Comedy Central airing alternate programming in its time slot, while Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live aired just one original episode on Sunday before going dark for the remainder of the week, averaging 343,000 total viewers (–5 percent) and 113,000 adults 18–49 (+13 percent).
Complete ratings charts for the week of May 24, 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 | 6.15 | 2,836 | -4% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 1 first-run episode | 0.73 | 343 | -5% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* Dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 3 first-run episodes, 2 repeats | 9.22 | 2,429 | +35% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 5 repeats | 5.73 | 1,411 | +6% |
| Comics Unleashed (CBS)* 5 first-run episodes | 3.16 | 885 | — |
| 12:05 AM | |||
| Comics Unleashed (CBS)* 5 repeats | 2.66 | 590 | — |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| Funny You Should Ask (CBS)* 5 repeats | 2.50 | 463 | — |
| 12:37 AM | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 5.05 | 944 | +11% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 5 repeats | 4.67 | 768 | +2% |
| 1:05 AM | |||
| Funny You Should Ask (CBS)* 5 repeats | 2.55 | 398 | — |
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 | 1.64 | 157 | -19% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 1 first-run episode | 1.08 | 113 | +13% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* Dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 3 first-run episodes, 2 repeats | 4.87 | 252 | +31% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 5 repeats | 5.66 | 271 | +3% |
| Comics Unleashed (CBS)* 5 first-run episodes | 1.73 | 94 | — |
| 12:05 AM | |||
| Comics Unleashed (CBS)* 5 repeats | 1.47 | 62 | — |
| 12:35 AM | |||
| Funny You Should Ask (CBS)* 5 repeats | 1.48 | 54 | — |
| 12:37 AM | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 2.25 | 82 | +3% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 5 repeats | 3.79 | 122 | -2% |
| 1:05 AM | |||
| Funny You Should Ask (CBS)* 5 repeats | 1.72 | 53 | — |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
gutfeld loses and still wins
I noticed how Greg has lost nearly one MILLION viewers. This could be due to factors like Time Change, Summer approaching, cord cutting, etc. Plus, there is much else for viewers to sample.
He’s still loses, cuz he’s a humorless hack! He wouldn’t last outside his precious Fox News bubble!
You are void of FACTS and full of FICTION. Feelings do NOT “count.” Try harder sweetheart.
IMAGINE if Gutfeld was on FREE tv channel, like ABC, CBS and NBS. They are on a CABLE premium channel and BEATING your ‘heroes’.
You posts here are a fucking example of that, crackbaby!
He’s ghettoized himself on Fox News, spreading his bullshit around! No network would ever touch that ignorant hack, because he offends and repels far, far more than the other late night hosts ever could, combined!
You pigfucks don’t know what quality and talent really means, after rotting your pea sized brains consuming Fox News!
CBS SUCKS!
cbs sucks
Does anybody happen to know how much a :30 and :60 second spot costs on each of these shows? It would be interesting to see if Byron Allen is making money or not.
Why is Bravo even mentioned? Andy Cohen is a lush. I love him anyway. Stephen’s appearance on a Community Television Show in Michigan probably got better ratings.
Cannot stand this show as a replacement for the best comedy show ever! Most of the comedy is lazy, hanging out on chairs, like they all got together to watch a sports game and decided to tell jokes about their lives.
I will not be watching CBS’s new way to make Trumpity Dumpity happy while we all switch the channel/network and go find Seth Meyers to watch..or turn the TV off and read a book!
Hearing this news, alongside finding an article from “The Desk” reporting Byron Allen’s layoffs and selling tv stations for his stupid Aspen mansion, as well as the unraveling drama from 60 minutes and Scott Pelley’s firing, CBS deserves to be dragged in the mud for capitulating and losing their viewership.
That Informercial money from Byron isn’t gonna save your credibility as a network.
“Capitulate” or “Removing bias?” “60” changed when the old cast and management aged out.
You meant to say “60 changed” when the new management interfered and blocked the CECOT deportation story and also fired its journalists (mostly women). It’s no surprise given the headlines this week the show’s dismantling is the final straw w/Scott’s firing.
“Removing bias”= allowing any criticisms of the President and our government; what’s the point of the 1st Amendment if you have to silence critical coverage?
we want intelligent topical humor; Kimmel, Fallon and Myers provide it.
I don’t need tired one-liners where you hear it and forget it.
A bit odd huh? Almost like Trump and the media fed off each other in this fake rivalry to keep both sides relevant.
The remaining ‘comedy’ chat shows will lose their market share even faster without Colbert.
I’m glad to see CBS Tank. I am boycotting everything CBS, as are many of my friends. I hope they tank in the ratings
BYE Boomer.
You’re just sad and pathetic!
READ THIS, CBS! I am aware that ratings are no concern to these wealthy owners; however, are advertisers going to continue wasting their money placing their ads in this network, especially CBS failing late night slot? Seriously sad to see the downfall of this entire CBS network. Boycott rising.
He was just a working class guy making $16 million a year.
Sucks to be him
You, OTOH, are a whiny faced loser who can’t accept the fact nobody likes you MAGAts!
And let it run down your chin.
Because you’re a mindless little MAGAt that wants to please him in the worst way possible!
LAME!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Free Palestine
You just want an excuse to violently attack Jews!
Kimmel: King of the adolescent spitball throwers!
Turned out well for them, didn’t it. The only way to bring up their viewership. All I care to know is which one is next.
The end justifies the means. One down, keep going.
Really even when that end means no more First Amendment or FREEDOM of SPEECH?
So, viewership is down, a beloved show and host are gone, a ton of folks are unemployed, an historic space sits vacant, but hey! Profits are up, so it’s all good, right?
Shameful.
PS. Comics Unleashed sucks
(Woman 55-64)
Yeah so beloved barely anybody bothered to watch.
You baby boomers will never learn. You’re going out kicking and screaming. The forces of economics doesn’t care about boomer predilections.
All you do is sit around and whine and complain about how life is so unfair, rather than getting up and doing something to make your life better!
You’ve doomed yourself to a lifetime of fail, Zero!
I’ve literally said the opposite in every post you childless 70 year old virgin closeted fruitcake. You boomers are the ones crying your old way of life is crashing down all around you. Get over it. Your stupid nightly routine isn’t that big of a deal. Stop living vicariously through D-List celebrities. They don’t know you nor care about you.
Did you get that all out of your system? Because you still come across as a fucked up loser with mental issues that needs to check itself into a psych ward before you break your mommy’s heart, again!
You’ve got nothing but fucked up ignorance, Zero!
Free Palestine 🇵🇸 > 🇮🇱 ✡️
You want to attack Jews is what you want
With all the depressing and horrible things that are happening at CBS, I’m no longer going to watch anything on that networkexcept my two soap operas in the morning. Now there’s nothing left to watch at night worth watching and I’m sure Sunday will turn into a disaster as well with 60 minutes. Now that it has become the Trump network I just don’t trust it anymore.