Stephen Colbert scores season high ratings after Strike Force Five reunion on ‘The Late Show’
Stephen Colbert delivered his biggest audience numbers of the season after reuniting the former Strike Force Five podcast hosts for a special episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
According to preliminary Nielsen live plus same day figures, Monday night’s episode attracted 2.819 million viewers, making it the programme’s highest rated regular weeknight broadcast in months. The episode also pulled in 231,000 viewers in the key adults 18 to 49 demographic.
The highly anticipated reunion brought together Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver on the same late night programme for the first time since the comedians launched the Strike Force Five podcast during the 2023 Hollywood writers strike.
The podcast originally began as a temporary project during the industry shutdown, with proceeds supporting out of work staff members affected by the strike. Its surprise return instantly generated online buzz among late night viewers, helping fuel major interest in the CBS broadcast.
Industry observers noted that the audience figures were likely to rise even further once delayed viewing and streaming numbers are fully counted. Clips from the episode quickly spread across YouTube and social media, with one extended upload reportedly reaching millions of views within a short period.
The reunion episode significantly outperformed Colbert’s network rivals on the night. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon aired repeat episodes while their hosts appeared alongside Colbert in New York.
Kimmel reportedly drew 1.32 million viewers, while Fallon brought in 1.28 million, leaving Colbert comfortably ahead in total audience numbers.
The event also marked a nostalgic moment for late night television fans, many of whom viewed the Strike Force Five podcast as one of the few positive and collaborative entertainment stories to emerge during the difficult strike period. Social media reactions praised the chemistry between the hosts, with viewers enjoying the rare sight of competing late night personalities sharing the same stage.
Following the television taping, the group reportedly stayed behind to record a brand new episode of the podcast, adding even more excitement for longtime listeners.
The ratings success arrives during an increasingly uncertain era for traditional late night television. Audience habits have shifted heavily towards streaming platforms, online clips and digital viewing, while several programmes across broadcast television continue facing declining live ratings.
Despite those wider industry challenges, Colbert has remained one of the strongest performers in the format, regularly leading network late night viewership. Monday’s figures marked the programme’s biggest live audience since January 2025, when a special post football episode benefited from NFL lead in coverage.