No one thought it would happen — not this fast, not like this. Greg Gutfeld, once dismissed as a political satirist, has now toppled one of television’s biggest giants. As CBS pulls the plug on Colbert’s ‘Late Show,’ fans, critics, and even rivals are asking: how did a Fox News host become the new king of late-night? What CBS insiders are whispering behind closed doors might surprise you
‘Gutfeld!’ has outdrawn CBS’ ‘Late Show’ for 21 straight months
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld is the ratings king of late night, despite what CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert tells his audience.
CBS announced last week that it would cancel “The Late Show” next May at the end of its broadcast season. The show was losing a reported $40 million a year for the network, although skeptics insist the decision was meant to appease the Trump administration.
Colbert discussed CBS’ reasons for canceling the show on Monday, asking, “How could it purely be a financial decision if ‘The Late Show’ is No. 1 in ratings?”
However, Fox News Channel’s “Gutfeld!” is actually the most-watched late-night program on television and has outdrawn Colbert for 21 straight months among total viewers and 13 months in a row among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54.
The shows air at different times; “Gutfeld!” airs at 10 p.m. ET, while Colbert’s begins at 11:35 p.m. ET and is No. 1 among network late-night comedy programs.
In 2025, “Gutfeld!” averaged 3.1 million viewers through July 20, compared to 1.9 million for CBS’ outgoing “Late Show.” During that same time period, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 1.5 million, NBC’s “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” averaged 1.1 million, and NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” managed 751,000.
When it comes to the key demo, “Gutfeld!” averaged 398,000 of the viewers most coveted by advertisers, compared to 288,000 for Colbert.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 267,000 demo viewers, followed by 262,000 for “The Tonight Show” and 181,000 for “Late Night.”
“Gutfeld!” has also outdrawn all late-night offerings among younger viewers, averaging 248,000 adults aged 18-49 compared to 188,000 for Colbert, 175,000 for Kimmel, 160,000 for Fallon and 113,000 for Meyers.
There had been speculation about the future of the Paramount-owned late-night programs, which also includes “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, as its planned corporate merger with Skydance Media is expected to take place later this year pending approval from the FCC.
Colbert is among the fiercest critics of President Donald Trump on television and quipped “go f— yourself” to him Monday night in response to Trump’s taunts over the show’s cancellation.
Paramount Global and CBS agreed earlier this month to settle Trump’s $20 billion election interference lawsuit against the network for at least $16 million. Days before CBS announced the plug was pulled on the “Late Show,” Colbert was outspoken against the settlement, calling it a “big fat bribe.”
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