Fallon passes Colbert in ratings for first time since April
By Jeremy Dick
After being beaten in the ratings every weeknight for months, Jimmy Fallon has finally taken the lead back over late night rival Stephen Colbert.
Stephen Colbert may have been the one to knock Jimmy Fallon off the top of the mountain… but the Tonight Show host has proven that this war ain’t over!
According to THR, Fallon has finally beaten Colbert in the late night ratings war for the first time in five months. The last time Fallon had been able to top Colbert was in the end of January — the day of the Trump inauguration. Ever since, Colbert’s Late Show has consistently been the most watched nightly primetime talk show. Last week marks the first time since then that Fallon has been able to pull back ahead.
However, Fallon’s winning margin wasn’t by much, at least by TV viewership standards. His lead over Colbert was by roughly 34,000 viewers. This win is also only considering live viewership — Colbert does pull back ahead after factoring in DVR and VOD views. However, this is a sign that the ratings race between the two is getting ever tighter.
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For what it’s worth, this late night ratings war for this generation aren’t nearly as vitriolic as what we saw in the 90s. Jay Leno and David Letterman practically hated one another, for all intents and purposes. For Fallon and Colbert, there certainly doesn’t seem to be any animosity between the two. Though, of course, I’m sure each of them wants to be the one to have the title of “King of Late Night”.
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So which one should YOU watch? Well, you decide! Watch Jimmy Fallon weeknights at 11:35 p.m. EST on NBC. Meanwhile, you’ll find Colbert at the same time, 11:35. p.m. EST, over on CBS.