Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: What were the top-rated late-night TV shows in 2024?
Executive Summary
The available analyses show that late-night TV in 2024 was led in overall nightly viewers by Greg Gutfeld’s program while Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show commanded the largest percentage share among televised audiences and often topped monthly and quarterly tallies in raw totals; Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon posted competitive numbers in key demos and saw fluctuations across months. The disparate metrics—average nightly audience, percentage share, and P18-49/demo figures—produce different “top-rated” winners depending on which measurement is emphasized, and the sources reflect this multiplicity of yardsticks [1] [2] [3].
1. Ratings Tell Different Stories — Who Really Led in 2024?
The headline numbers diverge: Nielsen live+7 data cited in multiple summaries list Greg Gutfeld as the largest average nightly audience in 2024 with roughly 2.76 million viewers, while other tallies crown Stephen Colbert’s Late Show as the leader by percentage share—8.7% among viewers 2+—and as a frequent leader in monthly and quarterly raw-viewer lists [1] [2] [3]. These differences arise because average-night metrics smooth across the year and favor consistently watched programs, whereas percentage share reflects a program’s slice of TV viewing at its airtime; both are valid but answer different questions about “top-rated.”
2. Month-to-Month Leaders Shifted — What September and Q1 Reveal
September 2024 snapshots show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert leading in both total viewers (about 2.67 million) and P18-49 viewers (roughly 295,000), with Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show trailing in those specific monthly figures, though Kimmel showed notable growth in that month [2]. Q1 2024 Nielsen data similarly placed Colbert atop the quarter with 2.586 million total viewers and 288,000 in P18-49, though the quarter showed small shifts—Colbert losing 1% total viewers but gaining 2% in the demo—underscoring that shorter windows can portray different leaders than calendar-year averages [3].
3. Yearlong Aggregates Point to Gutfeld — Why yearly averages differ
Calendar-year aggregates for 2024 credit Greg Gutfeld with the largest average nightly audience at 2.76 million viewers, a figure that outpaced Colbert’s nightly average in the yearlong sweep despite Colbert’s leading share percentages in some metrics [1]. Yearlong averages advantage shows with steady nightly viewership across 52 weeks, especially programs that pull viewers outside traditional demo skews; this explains why Gutfeld can top a year-average while Colbert leads by share and appears first in some monthly tallies. The choice of aggregation window materially shifts the “winner” label.
4. The 18–49 Demo Paints a Different Picture — Advertisers’ Focus
Advertisers focus on the 18–49 demo, and data show variation: Colbert led P18-49 in some months, such as September 2024 (about 295,000), while Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon posted competitive demo numbers—Kimmel showing growth in certain periods and Fallon remaining in the conversation with hundreds of thousands in the demo [2] [3]. The demo-based ranking often does not mirror overall-viewer rankings because late-night audiences skew older; thus a program winning total viewers may lose to another when judged by 18–49 strength, affecting ad rates and network leverage.
5. Rapid Growth Stories and Outliers — The Daily Show’s Surge
The analyses underline notable outliers: The Daily Show recorded significant year-over-year growth—an 84% increase in total viewers and 53% growth in the demo—highlighting that mid-pack shows can post dramatic gains that shift competitive dynamics even if they don’t top raw averages [1]. Such acceleration matters because momentum and trend lines alter industry narratives, talent negotiations, and programming decisions more than a single ranking snapshot; networks prioritize upward trajectories alongside absolute rank.
6. Platform Effects and Changing Consumption — YouTube and Streaming Matter
Observers note that linear Nielsen metrics don’t capture multiplatform reach: hosts like Kimmel, Fallon, and Colbert have large YouTube footprints and clip-driven audiences that add millions of views beyond TV ratings, complicating claims about “top-rated” status when online consumption is considered [4]. This suggests that any definitive 2024 ranking depends on whether one counts linear, streaming, and social-video audiences; networks and advertisers increasingly weigh combined-platform performance when assessing late-night influence.
7. Bottom Line: “Top-Rated” Depends on Your Metric
In sum, 2024 produced multiple legitimate “top-rated” answers: Greg Gutfeld led average nightly viewers across the year, Stephen Colbert led in percentage share and frequently topped monthly/quarterly Nielsen totals, and Kimmel/Fallon competed strongly in the 18–49 demo with notable month-to-month swings; The Daily Show’s rapid growth further complicates any static leaderboard [1] [2] [3] [4]. Any definitive claim about the top late-night show in 2024 must specify whether it references average nightly viewers, percentage share, or demo performance, because each metric yields a different leader and different commercial implications.