Amid an uncertain era for late-night television, The Daily Show has emerged as both the genre's most important show and a ratings powerhouse. The Comedy Central program closed out the third quarter of 2025 with its highest-rated quarter in four years and its best average share in a full decade.
According to Nielsen’s big data plus panel viewing data, The Daily Show averaged a 0.45 rating among adults 18-49 years old, marking its best since the first quarter of 2021. Plus, it pulled in a 3.22 share, achieving its strongest performance since the third quarter of 2015. Those numbers reflect not only staying power but a renewed cultural importance in 2025. The show’s 0.45 rating represents a 25% jump from last year’s 0.36, while its 3.22 share is up an impressive 42% from 2.26.
Those numbers would be impressive under normal circumstances, but in the turbulent landscape of late-night TV, it’s even more significant. The past year has seen a string of shakeups that have rocked late-night. Stephen Colbert’s Late Show was abruptly canceled earlier this year, with CBS citing costs, and Jimmy Kimmel’s recent suspension from ABC hasn't instilled much faith that the network will always have his back.
Meanwhile, late-night hosts and programs remain under fire from the very politicians they cover. President Donald Trump has called for Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon to all be fired. And Vice President J.D. Vance suggested Kimmel's ratings earned him a suspension, something the comedian immediately pushed back against.
Against that backdrop, The Daily Show has reasserted itself as late-night’s most important voice. Jon Stewart’s return to the anchor chair and correspondents including Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, and Michael Kosta have reignited the show’s purpose. While other shows juggle corporate interference and political pressure, The Daily Show has doubled down on its brand of political satire.
Colbert and Kimmel got a bump in ratings in the immediate aftermath of their controversies. Undoubtedly, The Daily Show benefitted from that as viewers tuned in to see how Stewart would react. But those shows saw a dip in viewership while The Daily Show put together its best quarter in years, suggesting it can deliver no matter what the moment calls for.
With Colbert’s final episode scheduled for May 2026 and Kimmel’s future uncertain, Stewart and The Daily Show are effectively the last consistent nightly voice of political comedy. The show’s ratings reflect how critical it has become for laughs and cultural commentary. The Daily Show blends political absurdity and incisive analysis, and the numbers prove fans are getting exactly what they want. And it also helps that the stats contradict the narrative that late-night TV is dead.