The late-night landscape has traditionally been a fiercely competitive arena for TV show hosts, so it is worth checking out howThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert,Jimmy Kimmel Live, andThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Falloncompare in the ratings. It’s especially interesting aslate-night hosting is a dying art form, according to a recent interview with Seth Meyers.
The comedian would know since he has hostedLate Night with Seth Meyersfor years. However, although Meyers noted that podcasts take a lot of potential audience members and comedians away from the format,LateNighter’s most recent analysis of the ratings of major late-night shows proves that a handful of hosts are still faring comparatively fine, Meyers included.
Per LateNighter:
“(The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) averaged 2.42 million viewers across 41 first-run episodes, comfortably outpacing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (1.77 million) and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallen (1.19 million). In the advertiser-coveted 18–49 demo, however,Kimmelsurged ahead with 220,000 viewers—his strongest performance in a year—edging outColbert(219,000) and leavingFallon(at 157,000) in a distant third.”
Stephen Colbert Is 2025’s King of Late Night (So Far)
The Late Show Host Commanded An Audience Share of 9.22%
AlthoughMaddie Rice leftThe Late Show with Stephen Colberta few years ago, Colbert’s stint hosting the show has seen him go from strength to strength in an otherwise unpredictable late-night landscape. WhileJimmy Kimmel Livedid boast a slightly higher audience share among 18-34-year-olds, Colbert’s 9.22% remained far higher than its closest competitors.
If anyone seems ready to unseat Colbert, it would be Meyers, who commands 5.08% of viewers after 12:30 compared toNightline’s 4.25% andAfter Midnight’s paltry 3.36%. With these numbers in mind,it is hardly shocking that CBS’sAfter Midnightwas canceled earlier in 2025.
The titans of the industry have retained impressive audience numbers, but there is seemingly little room for a new competitor to emerge.
In this regard, Meyers’ doomsaying about the state of late-night got one thing right. The titans of the industry have retained impressive audience numbers, but there is seemingly little room for a new competitor to emerge when evenThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s viewership dropped by 29% in viewers between 18-49 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Our Take On 2025’s Late Night Ratings So Far
Seth Meyers’ Impressive Display Is A Welcome Surprise
The fact that theEmmys only nominated three late-night shows in 2025proves that the television staple is in some sort of trouble, but these ratings should be reassuring for fans ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert. However, it is Meyers’ impressive ratings that stand out, considering his later time slot.
Meyers’ popularity proves that the late-night genre still has its promising titles, even ifThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s declining viewership proves that Meyers’ worries about the format are valid. WhileJimmy Kimmel LiveandThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonboth survived, onlyThe Late Show with Stephen Colberthas truly thrived in 2025’s ratings to date.
