Week of Sept. 16, 2024 Late Night Ratings

Note: LateNighter generally posts late night weekly live-plus-three ratings on a three (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen.

With no presidential debate lead-in to boost its Nielsen ratings, late-night programming saw week-to-week audience losses for the week of Sept. 16, 2023.

Despite the declines, CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert remained the No. 1 show at 11:35 p.m., averaging 1,988,000 total live-plus-three-day viewers with 218,000 P18-49 for the week beginning Sept. 16. That’s down -19% and -27%, respectively, from the the week before (Sept. 9-13). Colbert’s week of Sept. 16 ratings are based on data from three first-run episodes (Tuesday through Thursday), along with repeats on Monday (post-Emmys) and Friday. The multiple dark days also contribute to the downward ratings trend.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! finished second in total viewers, and tied for second in P18-49 viewers at 11:35 p.m. this past week. Kimmel averaged 1,747,000 total viewers with 194,000 P18-49 this past week. With no debate lead-in, the program shed -4% in total viewers and -28% among P18-49 and -28% from the week before. Kimmel’s week of Sept. 16 ratings are based on data from four first-run episodes and a Friday rebroadcast; same as the week before.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon  averaged 1,161,000 total viewers with 194,000 P18-49 for the week of Sept. 16, tying Kimmel in the key demo. The Tonight Show shed -9% in total viewers and -15% among P18-49 from the week before. The week of Sept. 16 Tonight Show 11:35 p.m. ratings are based on data from four first-run episodes (Monday through Thursday), and a Friday rebroadcast.

Following Fallon, NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers averaged 798,000 total viewers with 128,000 P18-49 for the week of Sept. 16, per Nielsen live-plus-three data. That’s down -10% and -7%, respectively, from the previous week. Meyers’ week of Sept. 16 Nielsen ratings averages are based on data from three new episodes (Tuesday-Thursday), along with repeats on Monday (post-Emmys) and Friday. The multiple dark days also contribute to the downward ratings trend.

CBS’ After Midnight averaged 620,000 total viewers with 121,000 P18-49 for the week of Sept. 16. That’s -30% and -20%, respectively, from the week prior. After Midnight’s week of Sept. 16 ratings are based on data from four first-run episodes, and a Friday rebroadcast.

ABC’s Nightline averaged 867,000 total viewers with 116,000 P18-49 viewers this past week, per Nielsen live-plus-three data. That’s down -15% and -29%, respectively, from the week prior. Nightline‘s week of Sept. 16 averages are based on Nielsen data from five first-run episodes (Mon-Fri). That was also true for the week prior.

Lastly, The Daily Show saw a relatively low-rated week due to the show having preempted on Monday — traditionally the program’s most-watched day of the week. The Daily Show‘s three first-run episodes (guest-hosted by Ronny Chieng) on the week of Sept. 16 averaged 862,000 total viewers with 152,000 P18-49, per Nielsen live-plus-three-day data. That’s -33% and -43%, respectively, from the week before. Not only did The Daily Show not air on its most-watched day of the week, but the week before (Sept. 9-13) was The Daily Show‘s most-watched week in several years. A week-to-week audience decline was inevitable.

The week’s complete ratings charts follow below.

Weekly live+3 ratings (Viewers 2+)

Weekly live+3 ratings (P18-49 Demo)

© The Nielsen Company, used under license.