Late-night TV isn’t what it used to be. At least, that’s the narrative surrounding the latest news with the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS and ABC’s brief suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Headlines suggest viewers are tuning out, but is that the real story?
What the ratings say
Since 2015, major network late-night shows have lost a big chunk of their audience in the 18–49 age group — the demographic advertisers love most, per Forbes. The share of that audience for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” dropped dramatically over the last decade. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon’s shows have seen similar declines, according to Fox Business.
In the second quarter of 2025, “The Late Show” led with an average of 2.42 million viewers, followed by Kimmel at 1.77 million and Fallon at 1.19 million. However, in the coveted 18-49 demographic, Kimmel just edged out Colbert with 220,000 viewers versus Colbert’s 219,000, per Screen Rant.
LateNighter reported that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Late Show” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” have all seen viewership declines of 70% to 80% since 2015, the year Kimmel’s show moved to 11:35 p.m.
Overall, late-night viewership fell 9% year-over-year among total viewers, and 18–49 numbers dropped 21%. Fallon’s show has taken the biggest hit, down 16% among total viewers and 29% among 18- to 49-year-olds compared to Q2 2024, according to Nielsen data reported by LateNighter.
YouTube audiences tell a different story
While traditional Nielsen ratings show a decline, late-night hosts are still finding audiences online. Kimmel has 20 million YouTube subscribers, and his three most recent videos each earned more than 3 million views. Fallon has over 32 million subscribers, Colbert just over 10 million and Seth Meyers around 5 million.
Even though TV ratings, especially for Fallon, have dropped significantly, engagement on YouTube tells a different story. These digital viewers don’t count toward Nielsen ratings, the industry standard for advertisers, but they show that fans are still watching — and interacting with — late-night content.
Comparing the numbers
Kimmel’s show averaged 1.77 million total viewers and 220,000 in the 18–49 demographic, with 20 million YouTube subscribers.
Colbert’s had 2.42 million total viewers, 219,000 in the 18–49 demographic, and 10.2 million YouTube subscribers.
Fallon and Seth Meyers lagged behind in total viewers, though Fallon’s digital presence remains strong with 32.8 million subscribers.
What this means for late-night shows
Forbes noted the drop in traditional ratings isn’t unique to late-night TV — it’s part of a larger shift toward streaming and online viewing. Even long-running hits like “NCIS” and “Law & Order” have seen ratings drop significantly over the last decade.
Still, the digital numbers show late-night hosts are adapting to this shift. Kimmel and Fallon, in particular, are drawing millions of online viewers, proving that late-night TV viewership may not be disappearing, but spreading across platforms.