The first full week of the Winter Olympics proved unusually quiet for late night, with NBC’s entire lineup preempted by Games coverage and CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert relying on repeats.
With two of the three major broadcast networks sidelined, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show emerged as the primary sources of original late-night comedy for the week of Feb. 8, 2026.
According to Nielsen Live+3 data, Kimmel led the 11:35 p.m. hour in total viewers, averaging 2.41 million for the week, narrowly down from the prior frame. The ABC show also drew 247,000 adults 18–49, up 4 percent week to week.
Colbert, meanwhile, saw his averages tumble amid a week of repeats. The Late Show slipped to 1.13 million total viewers and just 86,000 adults 18–49, marking a steep 60 percent drop in the demo from the previous week.
At 11:00 p.m., The Daily Show rose to 1.16 million total viewers (+5 percent) and 294,000 adults 18–49 (+2 percent). In what’s become a trend, the Comedy Central series posted the largest demo audience of all the shows we track.
At 12:37 a.m., ABC’s Nightline also posted gains, averaging 1.04 million total viewers and 107,000 adults 18–49—up 23 percent in the demo from the previous week.
On cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! again delivered the largest overall audience among the shows we track, drawing a nightly average of 3.42 million total viewers for the week. The program also grew 11 percent in the demo to 260,000 adults 18–49. The show was preempted on Tuesday night by coverage of what appeared to be a break in the Nancy Guthrie case.
Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live declined from the prior week, averaging 357,000 total viewers and 89,000 adults 18–49, down 29 percent among younger viewers.
Complete ratings charts for the week of Feb. 8, 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 p.m. | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 4 first-run episodes | 6.50 | 3,423 | -1% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes | 0.68 | 357 | -22% |
| 11:00 p.m. | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes | 3.20 | 1,158 | +5% |
| 11:35 p.m. | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat | 8.66 | 2,413 | -2% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 5 repeats | 4.05 | 1,134 | -51% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
| 12:37 a.m. | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 5.10 | 1,035 | +1% |
| 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 p.m. | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 4 first-run episodes | 2.30 | 260 | +11% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes | 0.83 | 89 | -29% |
| 11:00 p.m. | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes | 4.03 | 294 | +2% |
| 11:35 p.m. | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 4 first-run episodes, 1 repeat | 4.34 | 247 | +4% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 5 repeats | 1.50 | 86 | -60% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
| 12:37 a.m. | |||
| Nightline (ABC)* 5 first-run episodes | 2.58 | 107 | +23% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) Preempted by Olympics | — | — | — |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
As of the cancelation of Steven Colbert I will not longer watch CBS channel programs. Hopefully people will realize CBS has lost thier backbone.
Same. Colbert is the only reason I have left to tune to CBS. Once he’s gone CBS is gone off my TV. They don’t ever air anything interesting anyway…
Dear God are you crazy! Colbert is the most boring, obnoxious creep in the world. Only a fellow narcissist would find that jerk entertaining.
Point to us on the doll where Colbert inadvertently touched you!