The second full week of the Winter Olympics delivered a skeletal stretch for late night, with CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert standing as the only traditional late-night show in production.
For the week of Feb. 15, 2026, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired repeats, NBC’s entire late-night lineup remained preempted by Olympics coverage, and both The Daily Show and Watch What Happens Live were dark, with Comedy Central and Bravo opting for alternate programming in their time slots. That left just Colbert, Gutfeld!, and ABC’s Nightline as the week’s only late-night players airing fresh episodes.
According to Nielsen Live+3 ratings data, Late Show easily claimed the 11:35 p.m. crown, averaging 2.51 million total viewers—up 121 percent from the prior week, when the program aired repeats—and 205,000 adults 18–49 (+138 percent). It was the only show among those we track to post week-to-week growth, benefiting from four first-run episodes and one repeat.
Notably, The Late Show’s highest-rated episode of the week was Tuesday night, when Colbert addressed his dust-up with CBS over his interview with Texas state rep James Talarico, saying of a press release the network had issued earlier that afternoon: “I don’t even know what to do with this crap.” That night’s episode, which also featured lead guest CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, drew a total audience of 3 million viewers.
With five encores, Jimmy Kimmel Live! fell sharply to 1.35 million total viewers (–44 percent) and 128,000 adults 18–49 (–48 percent).
At 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, Fox News’ Gutfeld! drew the week’s largest overall audience, averaging 3.21 million total viewers despite a modest 5 percent decline. In the advertiser-coveted demo, the program delivered 218,000 adults 18–49 (–12 percent).
ABC’s Nightline, which aired five original episodes, averaged 856,000 total viewers (–17 percent) and 71,000 adults 18–49 (–34 percent).
Complete ratings charts for the week of Feb. 15, 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 | 6.27 | 3,211 | -5% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 5 repeats | 4.97 | 1,347 | -44% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat | 9.34 | 2,508 | 121% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
| 12:37 AM | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 4.37 | 856 | -17% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
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 | 2.15 | 218 | -12% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* dark this week | — | — | — |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 5 repeats | 2.38 | 128 | -48% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat | 3.91 | 205 | 138% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
| 12:37 AM | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 1.81 | 71 | -34% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
