What To Know
- Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed beat both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show in the key demo for the first time.
- It was the only late-night show to post week-over-week gains.
- Allen’s two-hour programming block outperformed ABC and NBC competitors in several key time slots.
The late-night ratings for Monday, August 24, are in, and in perhaps surprising news, Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed beat ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show for the first time in the key Adults 18-49 demographic.
According to LateNighter, citing preliminary live-plus-same-day ratings for August 24, a rerun of Comics Unleashed averaged 161,000 viewers in the coveted 18-49 demo. In comparison, an original episode of Kimmel, guest-hosted by Jelly Roll, drew 158,000 demo viewers in its first half hour, while a Tonight Show rerun drew 154,000.
Allen’s half-hour shows, Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask, replaced CBS’ The Late Show in the 11:35 pm slot on May 22. As noted by LateNighter, both shows are currently airing repeats, but unlike its late-night competition, none of the content is tied to the daily news.
Despite the demo win, Comics Unleashed still finished third in total viewers in the 11:35 half-hour slot on Monday. The show averaged 3.58 million total viewers, while Kimmel finished first with 6.87 million total viewers and The Tonight Show finished second with 4.70 million total viewers.
However, Comics Unleashed was the only show to post increases from the week prior. It was up 14.5 percent in total viewers and a massive 84.5 percent in the 18-49 demo.
In comparison, Kimmel‘s full hour was down 15 percent in total viewers and 42 percent in the demo from when Rosie O’Donnell guest-hosted the Monday before. And The Tonight Show‘s full hour was down 11 percent in total viewers and 15 percent in the demo compared to the previous Monday.
Allen’s Funny You Should Ask, which airs after Comics Unleashed at 12:05 am, also delivered its second-best household performance since premiering in its new slot on May 22. In addition, its second half hour topped NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers‘ competing half hour by 13 percent.
Most notable, the full two-hour block of Allen’s programming was up 13 percent in the 18-34 demo and up 1 percent in the 18-49 demo compared with The Late Show and After Midnight averages in August 2025.
Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, Weekdays, 11:35/10:35c, CBS
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weekdays, 11:35/10:35c, ABC
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, NBC