‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ races ahead of other late-night TV shows in first week after strike
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' has reclaimed its position at the top of late-night television.
Despite formidable competition, particularly from 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', the CBS show secured the ratings throne in the Live+3 Day ratings, according to Nielsen.
How popular is 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'?
Throughout the week, 'The Late Show' averaged 2.79 million viewers in L+3, outperforming 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' by over a million viewers, with an average of 1.78 million, and 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', which averaged 1.42 million.
In a surprising turn, the show exhibited its most substantial three-day lift in over five years, marking a significant achievement.
Notably, 'The Late Show' and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' air Monday through Thursday, while Fallon has a Friday night show.
How many people watch 'The Late Show'?
During its inaugural week, 'The Late Show' garnered an additional 809,000 viewers through three-day playback, marking its highest since February 2018 when it saw an increase of 833,000.
Contrary to the conventional belief that late-night shows are predominantly viewed live on linear television with minimal delayed viewing, 'The Late Show's significant uplift suggests a notable trend of viewers recording the show for later consumption.
Interestingly, this trend is particularly pronounced among younger audiences, defying expectations that older viewers are more inclined to watch the next day due to earlier bedtimes.
What are the elements of 'The Late Show'?
Stephen Colbert infuses his late-night show with his distinctive blend of satire and comedy, engaging in conversations with a diverse array of guests to explore what's new and pertinent in the world.
Since the show's return following the writers' strike, Colbert has actively involved the audience in satirical discussions, delving into political topics such as former President Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and notably, the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Colbert's humane take on the war has received thousands on like, comments, and compliments from the across the world with people loving his show and his humanity.
The show's content has spanned a wide range of subjects, from Trump divulging classified military information and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell's financial troubles to Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy's critiques of Democrats post-ouster.
Colbert even shared Trump's 'talentless; low-rated; creeps' review after watching 'The Late Show'.
Noteworthy segments of the past included a special two-part monologue providing a recap of stories missed over the summer, covering incidents like Canadian wildfires, cocaine discovered in the White House, the government acknowledging the existence of aliens, the former president's numerous indictments, and more.
The inaugural episode on October 2 featured guest Neil deGrasse Tyson, while Kimmel hosted Arnold Schwarzenegger and Fallon welcomed Matthew McConaughey.
The show continues to offer a mix of humor, insightful conversations, and a diverse range of topics to entertain and inform its viewers.