CBS just got a nasty wakeup call. The network has a long way to go to match the numbers Stephen Colbert was bringing in with The Late Show, which aired its final-ever episode on May 24 following its shocking cancellation.
This past Monday (June 1) offered a clearer picture of the new landscape of late-night, as both ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon returned with new episodes for the first time since Colbert said his final farewell.
Kimmel’s show benefited the most, dominating in the 11:35 pm time slot with 2.185 million total viewers and 295,000 viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic, per Nielsen figures. Compared to the same period last year, the show was up 53 percent in total viewers and up a massive 178 percent in the key demo.
The Tonight Show was also up year-over-year, averaging 1.301 million total viewers and 194,000 demo viewers. This was an increase of 10 percent in total viewers and 14 percent in the demo.
But what about CBS? Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed, the show which replaced The Late Show, drew 628,000 total viewers and 82,000 demo viewers on Monday. Compared to the same time slot occupied by Colbert last year, the show was down 65 percent in total viewers.
The numbers are unlikely to be a concern for CBS under Comics Unleashed‘s “time buy” model. Allen’s company, Allen Media Group, is paying CBS for the time slot and covering all production expenses. Allen Media Group is selling its own commercial space, meaning it’s not CBS which is beholden to ratings.
“We’re proud to partner with Byron Allen on a new business and programming model for late night that proactively addresses a network daypart that was cost prohibitive to continue,” a CBS spokesperson previously told Variety. “With this ‘time buy’ model, we have shifted an hour that was losing roughly $40 million annually to $15 million in profit — a $55 million swing.”
Last July, CBS announced it was axing The Late Show for financial reasons, claiming the show lost $40 million annually. At the time, some critics argued the move was politically motivated, with parent company Paramount hoping to appease President Trump amid its merger with Skydance, which required government approval.
Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen, weeknights at 11:35 a.m. ET, CBS
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