Late Night End-of-Year Ratings Revealed: Who’s on Top Between Kimmel, Colbert, Fallon & Meyers?

The late-night ratings are in for the last competitive week of 2025, and it was another neck-and-neck finish between ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

According to LateNighter.com, citing Nielsen Live+3 data for the week of December 14 to 20, The Late Show held a 9,000 viewer lead over Jimmy Kimmel Live! in total viewers. The Late Show averaged 2.34 million viewers (down four percent on the week prior) compared to Kimmel’s 2.33 million viewers (up seven percent on the week before).

However, Kimmel led the way in the key adults 18-49 demo, averaging 252,000 viewers (up 12 percent on the previous week), a significant lead over Colbert’s 181,000 viewers (down 16 percent on the week prior).

Kimmel’s guests for his final week of 2025 included Michelle Obama, Mia Goth, Will Arnett, Kamala Harris, Macaulay Culkin, and Jason Clarke. Meanwhile, Colbert welcomed Paul Rudd, Lesley Manville, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Kumail Nanjiani, St. Vincent, and Hugh Jackman.

NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon finished the week with an average of 1.31 million viewers, down four percent on the week before. However, it rose 17 percent in the key demo, averaging 178,000 viewers.

Fallon’s final week of guests included Simu Liu, Jake Connelly, Alysa Liu, Finn Wolfhard, Martha Stewart, Nathaniel Rateliff, Timothée Chalamet, The Duffer Brothers, Caleb McLaughlin, and Carmelo Anthony.

Related

Stephen Colbert Wants to Switch Bodies With Donald Trump — Here's Why

Meanwhile, Late Night with Seth Meyers rose in both viewers and the demo, averaging 963,000 total viewers (up 12 percent) and 133,000 viewers in the demo (up 9 percent).

Over on cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! continued to dominate in the 10 pm slot, with an average of 2.69 million total viewers (down one percent on the prior week) and 183,000 key demo viewers (flat week-to-week).

Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live averaged 366,000 total viewers (down 13 percent) in the 10 pm slot and 90,000 adults in the 18–49 demo (down eight percent).

Finally, ABC’s Nightline saw increases in the 12:37 am slot, with an average of 993,000 viewers (up one percent) and 132,000 demo viewers (up 18 percent).