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| Kimmel, Allen, Fallon |
Jimmy Kimmel Live! led in total viewers while The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon won the key adults 18–49 demographic during the first full week of late night television’s post-Late Show era.
The week of May 24, 2026, was unusually fragmented due to Memorial Day closures, extended holiday breaks for several programs, and strong NBA lead-ins on NBC that boosted Fallon’s show.
The LateNighter website is reporting the Nielsen Live+3 ratings:
- ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! topped total viewers with an average of 2.43 million (+35% from the prior week) and 252,000 adults 18–49 (+31%) across three original episodes and two repeats.
- The Tonight Show averaged 1.41 million total viewers (+6%) and 271,000 adults 18–49 (+3%), narrowly beating Kimmel in the younger demographic despite airing repeats all week. Fallon’s demo victory was fueled by NBC’s Western Conference Finals coverage: after Game 5 on May 26, the show drew 1.66 million viewers and 392,000 adults 18–49; after Game 6, it posted 1.70 million viewers and a strong 504,000 in the demo.
- On CBS, the new Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen block struggled in Stephen Colbert’s former 11:35 p.m. slot. The program averaged 885,000 total viewers and 94,000 adults 18–49 across five originals at 11:35 p.m., with the 12:05 a.m. repeat at 590,000 viewers and 62,000 adults 18–49. The combined one-hour block averaged just 737,000 total viewers and 78,000 adults 18–49 — a sharp decline from Colbert’s Q1 2026 averages of 2.70 million viewers and 233,000 in the demo.
Funny You Should Ask, in its first full week on CBS at 12:35 a.m., averaged 463,000 viewers and 54,000 adults 18–49, with the 1:05 a.m. repeat slightly lower. ABC’s Nightline led its 12:37 a.m. hour in total viewers with 944,000 (+11%), while NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers topped the demo with 122,000 adults 18–49 despite repeats.
On cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! remained the top performer with 2.84 million total viewers (–4%) and 157,000 adults 18–49 (–19%). The Daily Show was dark for the holiday week. Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 343,000 viewers (–5%) with one original episode.