The landscape of late night television is undergoing a significant shift following the conclusion of *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* on the 2026 TV schedule.

This change has reportedly led to a boost in viewership for competing programs, particularly for *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* and *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*.

In the immediate aftermath of Colbert's departure, both Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon's shows recorded an uptick in their respective ratings.

This development is particularly notable as it indicates a redistribution of the late night audience.

For *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, the increase was substantial, with the ABC program drawing 2.185 million total viewers on a recent Monday.

This marks a 53% rise from its performance in the same period a year ago.

Furthermore, the show saw a remarkable 178% increase in the crucial 18-49 advertising demographic, reaching 295,000 viewers.

*The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon* also experienced growth, with its Monday airing attracting 1.3 million total viewers, a 10% increase year-over-year.

The show's 18-49 advertising demo also grew by 14%, reaching 194,000 viewers.

This suggests that a portion of Colbert's audience has migrated to both NBC and ABC's late night offerings.

Impact on CBS and New Programming

While the "Jimmys" are seeing positive trends in late night ratings, the situation is different for CBS.

*Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen* has taken over the 11:35 slot previously occupied by *The Late Show*.

The final episode of *The Late Show* had a strong showing, attracting 6.7 million total viewers.

In contrast, *Comics Unleashed* debuted with 628,000 total viewers, a 65% decrease for the timeslot.

CBS, however, appears to view this change as a strategic financial move.

*The Late Show* was reportedly costing the network $40 million annually in losses.

With Byron Allen's show, CBS is said to be receiving $15 million annually for the timeslot, creating what the network describes as a "$55 million swing" in profitability.

Allen himself has suggested the financial benefit to CBS could be as high as $150 million.

This shift highlights a changing economic model in late night television, where networks may prioritize profitability over traditional viewership numbers for certain slots.