Late-Night TV Ratings Shake-Up: Kimmel Spirals as Gutfeld Dominates the Competition

The Collapse of Late-Night’s Old Guard

Late-night television, once the epicenter of American cultural conversation, is now facing an unprecedented crisis. The genre’s legacy hosts—Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and their ilk—are watching their audiences vanish and their relevance slip away. In the midst of this seismic shift, Greg Gutfeld has emerged as an unlikely ratings powerhouse, forcing networks and viewers alike to reconsider what late-night comedy should be.

Colbert’s Shocking Exit & Kimmel’s On-Air Breakdown

The unraveling began with CBS’s abrupt cancellation of The Late Show, citing catastrophic financial losses. Colbert’s ouster sent shockwaves through Hollywood, but it was Jimmy Kimmel’s reaction that became the latest viral drama. Instead of accepting the reality, Kimmel delivered a teary monologue calling Colbert’s cancellation a “travesty,” even floating the idea of awarding him an “honorary Emmy”—a gesture many saw as more desperate than dignified.

Behind the scenes, insiders reported Kimmel was lobbying ABC executives to protect his own slot from a similar fate. His response? Doubling down on the same formula that tanked Colbert: politically homogenous guests, endless Trump rants, and virtue-signaling comedy. Critics argue this approach has transformed late-night into a “therapy session for a shrinking liberal base,” replacing unpredictable satire with lectures and applause for political validation rather than genuine humor.

The Financial and Cultural Cost of Partisanship

CBS’s financial filings confirmed the rumors: The Late Show was bleeding $40–$50 million annually, with viewership and ad revenue in freefall. Colbert’s $30 million salary only exacerbated the losses. Kimmel dismissed these figures as “nonsensical,” but the numbers don’t lie—partisan comedy isn’t paying the bills.

A Media Research Center study revealed the extent of the show’s ideological bubble. In the first half of 2025, The Late Show hosted 29 liberal guests and zero conservatives. Since 2022, the tally stands at 176 liberals to just one Republican—Liz Cheney, who appeared solely to criticize Trump. The result? Viewer fatigue and declining ratings, as the show’s unpredictability and broad appeal gave way to predictable, one-sided commentary.

Gutfeld’s Ratings Earthquake

As legacy hosts struggled, Greg Gutfeld seized the moment. His guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon drew 1.7 million viewers—a 57% jump over Fallon’s 2025 average—and a 13% spike in the key 25–54 demographic. Gutfeld’s own show, Gutfeld! on Fox News, consistently outperforms the competition, pulling in 2.7 million nightly viewers—more than Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon combined.

Gutfeld’s secret? He eschews partisan monologues for irreverence, unpredictability, and accessible satire. His blend of cultural commentary and lighthearted banter appeals to viewers across the political spectrum, drawing in audiences tired of the legacy late-night echo chamber.

As one critic put it: “Kimmel is comedy for Twitter. Gutfeld is comedy for America.”

The Industry at a Crossroads

Colbert’s firing is emblematic of a larger reckoning for late-night TV. Networks have poured millions into increasingly partisan programming, assuming political tribalism would boost ratings. But as production costs soared—The Late Show reportedly cost $100 million annually—the strategy backfired. Analysts suggest that broadening the show’s appeal could have doubled viewership and saved CBS tens of millions.

Kimmel’s insistence that “affiliate fees” offset losses only underscores the denial. Advertisers aren’t buying, and audiences aren’t tuning in. The math is unforgiving.

The Role of External Funding

There’s another layer to the crisis: external sponsorship. During the pandemic, late-night shows leaned heavily on public health campaigns, often funded by pharmaceutical and government interests. As those subsidies dried up in 2023 and 2024, networks were forced to rely on actual viewer engagement—revealing just how fragile their audience base had become.

Some insiders speculate Colbert’s show survived longer than it should have thanks to these subsidies, raising questions about the true drivers behind late-night’s content and longevity.

A Path Forward: Inclusivity and Unpredictability

Gutfeld’s success points to a new model for late-night: genuine inclusivity, not as a buzzword, but as a commitment to diverse guests, unexpected debates, and prioritizing laughter over lectures. Audiences crave unpredictability—the edge that once made late-night the beating heart of American culture.

Whether it was Johnny Carson needling politicians or David Letterman skewering celebrities, the best hosts were disruptors, not gatekeepers for one political tribe. Kimmel and Fallon could still pivot, but if they don’t, their shows risk joining Colbert’s—bloated, boring, and bleeding cash.

Conclusion: The Old Empire Is Crumbling

The contrast is stark. Jimmy Kimmel is clinging to the wreckage, memorializing Colbert’s collapse and doubling down on a failed approach. Greg Gutfeld, meanwhile, is building a new empire—one joke at a time, one ratings win after another.

The lesson is clear: late-night comedy cannot survive as an echo chamber. It must adapt or die.

As of August 2025, the torch has been passed. The old kings of smug are falling. The new king of comedy has arrived.

The era of Greg Gutfeld isn’t coming. It’s already here.