First on LateNighter: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert reclaimed the top spot at 11:35 PM among total viewers in October, while Jimmy Kimmel Live! held onto first place in the advertiser-coveted 18–49 demographic.
Both shows were down from their September peaks—Colbert off 4% to 2.63 million total viewers and Kimmel down 14% to 2.37 million. Meanwhile, NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon climbed 7% to 1.34 million viewers, narrowing the gap for third place in total audience.
That’s according to Nielsen Live+7 ratings data for October 2025.
Among adults 18–49, Jimmy Kimmel Live! continued to lead with 273,000 viewers in the demo, even as the show’s September surge settled by 29%. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon rose 7% to 204,000, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert declined 6% to 230,000.
At 12:37 AM, Late Night with Seth Meyers held steady with 959,000 total viewers (down 1%) while posting a 12% gain in the demo to 130,000. ABC’s Nightline averaged 943,000 total viewers (+4%) but slipped 9% in the demo (to 118,000) following its September spike.
At 11 PM, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show averaged 872,000 total viewers and 182,000 in the demo, down 11% across both measures from September. The show aired 14 new episodes during October.
At 10 PM, Fox News’s Gutfeld! took the top prize in total viewers with 3.09 million, down 6% from September, while Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live rebounded 34% to 341,000 viewers and soared 68% in the demo to 96,000.
Year over year, the total audience across all of the shows tracked by LateNighter was down 4% overall among total viewers and down 15% in the 18–49 demographic compared to October 2024. Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon were the only series to post year-over-year gains: Kimmel grew 13% in total viewers and 8% in the demo, while Fallon’s demo audience rose 1% (total viewers fell 5%).
Complete ratings charts for October 2025 follow below.
Note: Monthly ratings averages include only first-run episodes. Time period listed is most common airtime for show.
Live+ 7 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)
| Avg Share (%) | Avg Viewers (000s) | Vs Last Mth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Watch What Happens Live (BRAVO) * 22 First-run episodes | 0.64 | 341 | +34% |
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 22 First-run episodes | 6.3 | 3,088 | -6% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 14 First-run episodes | 2.47 | 872 | -11% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
15 First-run episodes | 9.56 | 2,367 | -14% |
|
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
14 First-run episodes | 10.18 | 2,634 | -4% |
|
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
15 First-run episodes | 5.7 | 1,342 | +7% |
| 12:37 AM | |||
|
Nightline (ABC)
22 First-run episodes | 5.25 | 943 | +4% |
|
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
15 First-run episodes | 5.91 | 959 | -1% |
Live+ 7 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)
| Avg Share (%) | Avg Viewers (000s) | Vs Last Mth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Watch What Happens Live (BRAVO)* 22 First-run episodes | 0.83 | 96 | +68% |
| Gutfeld! (FNC) † 22 First-run episodes | 2.25 | 230 | -6% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 14 First-run episodes | 2.46 | 182 | -11% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
15 First-run episodes | 5.63 | 273 | -29% |
|
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
14 First-run episodes | 4.45 | 230 | -6% |
|
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
15 First-run episodes | 4.58 | 204 | +7% |
| 12:37 AM | |||
|
Nightline (ABC)
22 First-run episodes | 3.32 | 118 | -9% |
|
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
15 First-run episodes | 4.12 | 130 | +12% |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
Gutfeld is primetime, not latenight. Stop including him in the ratings reports.
So the numbers show that most of Trump’s claims about late-night ratings aren’t actually true, according to the most reliable sources?