February Ratings: Late Night Rises Across the Board From January

Late night delivered a rising tide in February, with every show we track posting month-over-month ratings gains in both total viewers and the key adults 18–49 demographic.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! once again split top honors at 11:35 p.m. in February, continuing a now five-month streak in which the two shows have divided first place in the hour. Colbert led the timeslot among total viewers, while Kimmel held onto the top spot among adults 18–49.

According to Nielsen Live+7 ratings data, Colbert’s Late Show averaged 2.77 million total viewers nightly, up 5% from January. Jimmy Kimmel Live! followed with 2.58 million viewers, also gaining 5% month-over-month. NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remained third in the hour, averaging 1.46 million viewers—though the show posted the largest growth at 11:35 p.m., rising 19% from January.

Among adults 18–49 at 11:35 p.m., Kimmel led the hour with an average of 260,000 viewers in the demo, up 13% from January. Colbert followed with 240,000 viewers, a 7% month-over-month increase, while Fallon averaged 196,000 viewers in the demo—jumping 26%, again the biggest gain among the three network late-night shows.

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 3.38 million total viewers in February, up 11% from January, while also growing 12% among adults 18–49 to 246,000 viewers.

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show led all tracked late-night programs among younger viewers. Airing at 11 p.m., the show averaged 297,000 adults 18–49 in February—comfortably topping the demo field—while increasing 28% month-over-month. The Daily Show also grew among total viewers, averaging 1.24 million total viewers, up 21% from January.

At 12:37 a.m., NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers edged out ABC’s Nightline among total viewers, averaging 1.03 million viewers compared to Nightline’s 962,000. Both programs saw modest month-over-month gains, with Meyers rising 6% overall and 2% in the demo to 129,000 viewers, while Nightline grew 1% among total viewers and 2% in the demo to 97,000.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live also saw a rebound in February, averaging 456,000 total viewers at 10 p.m., up 22% from January. The Andy Cohen-hosted show similarly climbed 22% among adults 18–49, averaging 120,000 viewers across 14 first-run episodes.

Year-Over-Year (vs. February 2025)

Year-over-year, the total audience across all shows currently tracked by LateNighter grew 7% among total viewers and 5% in the adults 18–49 demographic. Compared to the same month last year, nearly every program posted gains in total viewers, led by Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which jumped 38% overall and 65% in the demo. Comedy Central’s The Daily Show also posted strong year-over-year growth, rising 28% among total viewers and 50% in adults 18–49, while CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert increased 11% overall (though it dipped 1% in the demo).

ABC’s Nightline, NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers each posted modest gains in total viewers, while Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live also grew 7% overall despite a 14% decline in the demo. The only program to post year-over-year declines across both metrics was Fox News’s Gutfeld!, which fell 15% among total viewers and 30% in adults 18–49 compared to February 2025.

Complete ratings charts for February 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.