Gutfeld: 3 million
Colbert: 1.9 million
Kimmel: 1.5 million
Fallon: 1 million
I know this is the Washington Examiner but I’ve seen the same numbers elsewhere so I’m confident it’s correct.
When Trump left office the first time, Kimmel put this video together in celebration that is the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen, and I still watch it from time to time to cheer myself up.
I kind of feel like that’s complaining that there is too much dancing at the ballet. The Tonight Show has been on the air for 71 years. Since before most houses had TV. It has always tried to be for a broad audience. The monologue has always touched on the news of the day without going too hard. They still make Trump look silly at times just like Carson did with whoever was president at the time. There is room for shows that aren’t overtly political all the time. I just wish Fallon was better at it.
Hell, there’s too much ballet at the ballet 
But I take your point.
That is awesome. I really wish it had been a permanent goodbye.
That is very, very good. A shame they couldn’t have worked the Theodore Roosevelt Monument into the mix-- that always gets overlooked by the public, and would have made a nice dancing addition. I remember when we took a family trip to D.C. (back in the good old days whan Obama was Pres) and asked our hotel desk clerk how to get to Theodore Roosevelt island-- he said “oh, glad to hear you’re making the trip-- almost no one asks about it!”
At least ol’ Teddy got to participate during the Mt. Rushmore scene.
Thanks to solost & anyone else who mentioned this point. Even tho it’s obvious, it’s worth mentioning.
OTOH, Seth Meyers’ regular segment A Closer Look always is a brilliant, detailed, insightful analysis, worthy of any serious news program.
Yes, Seth Meyer’s A Closer Look, along with The Daily Show, is as much real news and analysis as it is comedy. Jon Stewart’s monologues, in particular, have been pretty amazing lately. He always starts off kind of silly, almost giddy, then his monologue gradually transforms into a searing, bitingly sarcastic indictment of the current political climate.
Unfortunately, since it’s also a Paramount property, TDS is likely next on the chopping block.
Here’s an article from not the Examiner, with ratings from Q2 2025 (i.e., through June); the numbers are different, but the order’s the same (all numbers are average nightly viewers):
- Gutfeld 3.29 million
- Colbert 2.42 million
- Kimmel 1.71 million
- Fallon 1.19 million
And, some other late-night shows, for comparison:
- The Daily Show 994K
- Seth Myers 900K
- Nightline 810K
- After Midnight 591K
The payoff quote (“linear” refers to viewership over cable/over-the-air, versus watching via streaming):
I’ve never been a huge fan of Colbert, but my wife likes him.
I don’t doubt CBS’ claim that this reflected nothing besides $, but if they wanted to maintain a posture of being anything resembling an independent purveyor of content, this is a bad look.
The thing about Gutless getting 3M+ viewers, it’s all the right-wing viewers. The others on that list are all the left-wing viewers, divided between all of them. Of course there is some overlap, but the show times compete with each other.
More or less. Gutfeld’s show runs on Fox News, and I’m certain that 100% of his viewers are MAGA nation. It also airs 90 minutes earlier in the evening than the late-night shows on the legacy OTA networks, and that probably helps with his viewership numbers.
Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon are essentially splitting the other 60-ish percent of the late-night viewing audience between them.
Trump replies to the announcement of Colbert’s cancellation with his usual style, dignity, and restraint:
I also wonder if Gutfeld’s audience a) skews older, which means b) they’re less likely to abandon “old media” in favor of various online alternatives.
Probably so. OTOH, that link I shared earlier today, with Q2 2025 ratings for the shows, indicates that Gutfield does have the largest audience of 18-49 year olds of the various shows, though he doesn’t lead by a lot in 18-49, and his overall audience lead is clearly driven by 50+:
- Gutfield: 238,000
- Kimmel: 222,000
- Colbert: 219,000
- Fallon: 157,000
Fallon: But but but…I tried to make you appear likeable, and this is the thanks I get?!?
All the shows skew old. Young people are watching podcasts.
And watching clips from the late-night shows on Youtube or Tik Tok the following day – which, of course, isn’t captured in the linear TV rating numbers.
I haven’t watched broadcast television in literal decades.