Weekly Ratings: Summer’s End Brings a Quiet Week for Late Night

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The week of Aug. 30 was one of those rare stretches when first-run late night went almost completely dark—and the ratings mostly went with it.

Of the shows LateNighter tracks, only ABC’s Nightline and Fox News’ Gutfeld! aired first-run episodes. They were also the only two programs to post any week-over-week gains, though in both cases those gains were limited to adults 18–49.

Nightline averaged 842,000 total viewers for the week, down 6 percent, but climbed 27 percent among adults 18–49 to 112,000. Gutfeld! averaged 2.382 million total viewers, down 4 percent, while rising 16 percent in the demo to 169,000.

At 11:35 p.m., an encore week of Jimmy Kimmel Live! took the top spot, averaging 1.368 million total viewers and 170,000 adults 18–49.

That was down 32 percent in total viewers and 11 percent in the demo from the previous week, when the show aired first-run episodes with guest host Jelly Roll. By comparison, Fallon, Meyers, and CBS’ Byron Allen block had already been in repeats.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon averaged 1.111 million total viewers, down 2 percent from its previous week of repeats, and 124,000 adults 18–49, down 9 percent.

CBS’ all-repeat Byron Allen block also slipped. Across its full hour, Comics Unleashed averaged approximately 651,000 total viewers and 90,000 adults 18–49, down 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, from the week before.

Funny You Should Ask averaged approximately 450,000 total viewers across its hour and 64,000 adults 18–49, down about 5 percent in both measures.

NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, still in repeats amid its extended summer break, averaged 607,000 total viewers, down 6 percent, and 60,000 adults 18–49, down 29 percent.

The Daily Show and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live did not air, with Comedy Central and Bravo instead airing alternate programming in their time slots.

Complete Nielsen Live+3 ratings for the week of Aug. 30 through Sept. 5, 2026, follow below.

Live+3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)

Live+3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.