Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel struggle with ratings after repeatedly targeting Trump
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Late-night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, long known for their sharp political humor, appear to have had a tough year, according to latest ratings.
Despite relentlessly targeting President-elect Donald Trump during this year's election cycle, the network comedians' ongoing political commentary seems to be losing its grip on audiences.
Late-night hosts targeted Donald Trump in 1,463 jokes this fall election period
According to a Media Research Center style, during the fall election period from September 3 to October 25, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and other late-night hosts made a total of 1,463 jokes about Donald Trump and only 35 about Kamala Harris.
A staggering 98 percent of these jokes were aimed at Trump, with much of the criticism being directed at the president-elect's conduct and policies.
However, it’s not just Trump who’s been a target; the study also revealed that 78 percent of jokes targeting vice presidential candidates were aimed at the MAGA spearhead's running mate, JD Vance. About 236 were directed at the Ohio senator compared to 66 at Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Despite the constant barrage of jabs aimed at Trump, the late-night talk shows seem to be missing the mark with viewers. Recent polls show a stark disconnect between celebrities' political commentary and public interest.
According to a Rasmussen poll, 75 percent of Americans said celebrity endorsements had little or no impact on their voting decisions during the presidential election.
Additionally, an AP-NORC poll revealed that just 40 percent of Democratic respondents approved of celebrities sharing political views, while only 11 percent of Republicans and 12 percent of independents felt the same, Breitbart reported.
Late-night TV ratings decline as cord-cutting rises
In response to changing trends, NBC's 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' announced in September that it would cut back its production schedule, airing new episodes four nights a week instead of five, with reruns on Fridays.
The decline in late-night viewership is being fueled by the growing trend of cord-cutting, especially among younger audiences who prefer watching clips on YouTube or social media the next day rather than tuning in to full broadcasts.
The latest ratings highlight a concerning trend. Colbert’s CBS show, traditionally the top-rated late-night program, averaged 2.6 million viewers during the 2023-24 season, a significant drop from 3.81 million five years ago.
The current 2024-25 season shows no signs of recovery, with Colbert attracting only 2.5 million viewers in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Kimmel’s 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on ABC saw an average of 1.37 million viewers during the same period.
The major networks are struggling to compete with 'Gutfeld!' on Fox News, which continues to dominate the late-night comedy scene. In the third quarter of 2024, the show, led by Greg Gutfeld, averaged 2.8 million viewers.
