Video: Stephen Colbert Holds a Funeral for His Own ‘Late Show’ Featuring Kimmel, Fallon, Meyers, and John Oliver

Stephen Colbert’s Show Faces Cancellation Amid Late-Night Ratings Struggles

On Monday night, a sort of memorial took place for Stephen Colbert’s late-night show as he joined fellow hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel from ABC, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers from NBC, and HBO’s John Oliver, to lament the show’s uncertain future.

During the event, Colbert humorously referred to problematic staff members as “TV’s best friends” and took jabs at CBS for their decision to cancel a show linked to dwindling ratings, criticizing the network for spending money on a former Comedy Central personality.

Colbert noted how awkward the current late-night landscape feels, joking that he and the other hosts collectively represent the bulk of these shows, hinting that the stakes are high. “Someone has to last for the president to be angry,” he added with a laugh.

Then, he challenged his fellow hosts to justify why their shows should continue airing. Colbert shared that he’s been asked multiple times to present his case. “People enjoy it. I enjoy it,” he insisted, although the numbers tell a different tale.

In fact, Colbert’s ratings recently hit a low point, reportedly drawing only 285,000 viewers in the critical 25-54 demographic, marking a troubling trend for his show.

Kimmel tried to remain optimistic about the situation, suggesting that more viewers watch late-night shows now compared to the era of Johnny Carson. He pointed to viewer statistics for support.

However, this assertion is up for debate. Colbert averaged around 2.545 million viewers last year, with even lower numbers reported this year. Recently, while he edged out Kimmel (who had 2.1 million) and Fallon (at 1.25 million), Greg Gutfeld emerged victorious in ratings with 3.2 million viewers, despite his show being limited to cable audiences.

By comparison, Johnny Carson regularly drew in 12 million viewers during his less successful periods and peaked at about 17 million during better times. Even in his lowest ratings, Carson attracted more viewers than today’s late-night hosts put together.