First on LateNighter: Stephen Colbert’s Late Show days may be numbered—but he just set a new ratings record.
According to Nielsen Live+3 data, Colbert captured an average weekly share of 12.63% among total viewers last week—his first full week of shows since CBS announced the show’s cancellation. That’s the highest weekly share The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has posted in its entire run, dating back to 2015.
Colbert also logged his best raw ratings in over two years, with an average of 3.059 million total viewers tuning in each night last week—more than his two 11:35 p.m. network competitors combined.
The Late Show‘s numbers were even stronger in the advertiser-coveted 18–49 demo, where Colbert’s weekly average jumped 64% from the previous week, drawing the largest audience of any show in late night.
The week’s top-rated episode aired Monday, when nearly 3.3 million viewers tuned in to see a cadre of fellow late-night hosts join Colbert for a post-monologue comedy bit. That The Late Show retained much of that audience through the rest of the week is no small feat.
In other weekly ratings news, Greg Gutfeld’s Fox News show continued its dominance in the 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT time slot, averaging more than 3.25 million total viewers and 206,000 in the key 18-49 demo nightly.
As we’ve previously reported, The Daily Show also posted unsually strong numbers, with Josh Johnson’s hosting debut breaking records of it own and boosting the show’s viewership among younger audiences by 35% week over week. The Daily Show delivered the second-largest audience in the demo last week—trailing only Colbert.
Complete ratings charts for the week of July 21, 2025 follow below.
Weekly ratings averages include only first-run episodes (rebroadcasts and specials are excluded except where noted). Time period listed is most common airtime for show.
Live+ 3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)
| Avg Share (%) |
Avg Viewers (000’s) |
Vs Last Wk |
|
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 4 first-run episodes |
8.19 | 3,255 | +5% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes |
0.79 | 311 | +11% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes |
3.23 | 989 | +17% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 4 first-run episodes |
4.42 | 1,075 | -11% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episodes |
12.63 | 3,059 | +27% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 4 first-run episodes |
4.92 | 1,175 | +10% |
| 12:37 PM | |||
| Nightline (ABC) * 5 first-run episodes |
3.61 | 645 | -15% |
| After Midnight (CBS) 5 repeats |
3.13 | 516 | +12% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 4 first-run episodes |
5.21 | 853 | +1% |
Live+ 3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)
| Avg Share (%) |
Avg Viewers (000’s) |
Vs Last Wk |
|
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 4 first-run episodes |
3.00 | 206 | -3% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes |
1.14 | 78 | +39% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes |
4.21 | 237 | +39% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 4 first-run episodes |
2.61 | 121 | -24% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episode |
6.42 | 296 | +64% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 4 first-run episodes |
3.54 | 161 | +12% |
| 12:37 PM | |||
| Nightline (ABC) * 5 first-run episodes |
1.81 | 65 | -25% |
| After Midnight (CBS) 5 first-run episodes |
2.08 | 70 | +11% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 4 first-run episodes |
2.93 | 97 | +3% |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
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