Kamala Harris Visit Draws Colbert’s Largest Audience Since Super Bowl

Note: LateNighter’s late night daily ratings reports are drawn from Nielsen live-plus-same-day data and do not take include delayed and/or streaming views. They are generally posted on a two (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen.

First on LateNighter: Fueled by an appearance from Vice President (and presidential candidate) Kamala Harris, CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert drew its second-largest live-plus-same-day audience of the year Tuesday night. Only Colbert’s post-Super Bowl episode has delivered a larger live-plus-same-day audience this year.

Colbert’s chat with the VP on Tuesday, October 8 attracted 2,893,000 total viewers with 297,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s up +106% in total viewers and +49% among P18-49 from the night before, and up +24% and +14%, respectively, from the previous Tuesday’s episode (which received a vice presidential debate lead-in lift).

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! split second place at 11:35 p.m., both seeing ratings declines in the process. Featuring guests Harrison Ford, Evan Funke, and Carly Pearce, Tuesday’s Kimmel averaged 1,484,000 total viewers with 167,000 P18-49. That’s down -26% and -16%, respectively, from the night before, and -10% and -10%, respectively, from the previous Tuesday. Featuring guests Chris Pine, Nicholas Braun, and Mary Mack, Tuesday’s Fallon averaged 1,018,000 total viewers with 193,000 P18-49. That’s down -21% and -1%, respectively, from the night before, and -6% and -5%, respectively, from the previous Tuesday’s episode.

Hitting fast-forward, the Tuesday, Oct. 8 episode of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers averaged 772,000 total viewers with 136,000 P18-49. Featuring guests Nathan Lane, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Amelia Dimoldenberg, the episode shed -5% in total viewers but gained +2% in P18-49 from the night before. Week over week,, the show gained +3% total viewers, but shed -3% in P18-49 from the previous Tuesday.

After Midnight did not air a new episode on Tuesday, Oct. 8. CBS re-aired the show’s Sept. 9, 2024 episode (featuring guest panelists Skylar Astin, Wayne Brady, and Mary Holland), and the 12:35 a.m. broadcast averaged 869,000 total viewers with 124,000 P18-49. That’s up +71% in total viewers, but -1% in P18-49 from the night before (also a repeat), and up +27% and +6%, respectively, from the previous Tuesday episode (which was new).

Following Kimmel, ABC’s late night half-hour Nightline averaged 837,000 total viewers with 98,000 P18-49 at 12:35 a.m. That’s down -3% in total viewers and -8% among P18-49 from the night before, and -11% in total viewers but gained +29% in P18-49 viewers from the previous Tuesday’s episode.

Guest-hosted by Jordan Klepper, Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Show averaged 519,000 total viewers with 117,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. That’s down -17% in total viewers but +98% among P18-49 from the night before (hosted by Jon Stewart). The episode also gained +28% in total viewers and +7% in P18-49 viewers from the previous Tuesday’s Daily Show (which was hosted by Michael Kosta). Author Jason Reynolds was Klepper’s guest on the program.

Tuesday’s complete ratings charts follow below.

Live+SD ratings (All Viewers 2+)

NetworkShow NameViewers% Share
11:00 PM
CCThe Daily Show519,0001.33
11:35 PM
ABCJimmy Kimmel Live!1,484,0004.99
CBSThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert2,893,0009.91
NBCThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon1,018,0003.45
12:35 AM
ABC* Nightline837,0003.91
CBSAfter Midnight (R, 9/9/24)869,0004.42
NBCLate Night with Seth Meyers772,0003.89
* = 30-minute program

Live+SD ratings (18-49 demo only)

NetworkShow NameViewers% Share
11:00 PM
CCThe Daily Show117,0001.40
11:35 PM
ABCJimmy Kimmel Live!164,0002.54
CBSThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert297,0004.71
NBCThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon193,0003.02
12:35 AM
ABC* Nightline98,0002.12
CBSAfter Midnight (R, 9/9/24)124,0002.92
NBCLate Night with Seth Meyers136,0003.15
*= 30-minute program

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.

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