October Ratings: Kimmel Holds 11:35 Lead as Fallon Slips

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Jimmy Kimmel Live! held onto its commanding 11:35 p.m. ratings lead in October, while NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon lost ground in both total viewers and adults 18–49.

According to Nielsen Live+7 ratings data, Kimmel averaged just over 3 million total viewers across 14 first-run episodes, essentially unchanged from September, and 329,000 adults 18–49, down 2%.

The Tonight Show averaged 1.38 million total viewers across 12 first-run episodes, down 8% month-over-month, and 201,000 adults 18–49, down 13%.

But the month’s biggest total-viewer gains came from Byron Allen’s two-hour CBS late-night block, which appeared to benefot from the return of CBS’s fall primetime originals.

Across its full hour, Comics Unleashed averaged approximately 797,000 total viewers in October, up 19% from September, and 100,000 adults 18–49, up 12%.

Funny You Should Ask averaged approximately 549,000 total viewers across its hour, up 17% month-over-month, and 72,000 adults 18–49, up 5%.

At 12:37 a.m., Late Night with Seth Meyers averaged 1.05 million total viewers across 13 first-run episodes, up 1% from September, while growing 6% among adults 18–49 to 148,000.

ABC’s Nightline moved in opposite directions across the two measures, growing 8% in total viewers to 1.10 million while falling 13% in the demo to 129,000.

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show averaged 1.02 million total viewers across 13 first-run episodes, up 1% month-over-month, and 167,000 adults 18–49, up 6%.

Fox News’s Gutfeld! averaged 2.16 million total viewers in October, down 3% from September, and 141,000 adults 18–49, down 7%.

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 331,000 total viewers across 21 first-run episodes, down 9% month-over-month, and 100,000 adults 18–49, down 7%.

A reminder that linear ratings represent only one slice of the viewing audience, with additional viewing taking place on streaming services, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

Complete ratings charts for October 2026 follow below.

Note: Monthly ratings averages include only first-run episodes, except in time periods where no first-run episodes aired. Time period listed is the 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.