Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' Finale Sets Record with 6.74 Million Viewers
By
Maya Georgi
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' finale drew a record-setting 6.74 million viewers, making it the show's most-watched weeknight episode ever. This surpassed the show's 2015 premiere (6.55 million) and significantly exceeded its Q1 2026 average of 2.69 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen data.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert went out with a bang.
A record-setting 6.74 million people tuned in to watch the finale on Thursday night.
The feat marks the show's most-watched weeknight episode of all time.
You might also wanna read
Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Finale Marks End of 33-Year Late-Night Era at CBS
Stephen Colbert's final episode of "The Late Show" on CBS concluded 33 years of late-night television at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Despite st
IndieWire·10d ago
Stephen Colbert Bids Farewell in The Late Show Finale with Legendary Late-Night Tribute
Stephen Colbert's final episode of The Late Show on CBS features his opening comments to the audience and a compilation of late-night televi
Stephen Colbert Ends 11-Year CBS 'Late Show' Run: Finale Preview and Reflections
Stephen Colbert ends his 11-year run as host of CBS's The Late Show tonight. The article previews the finale, reflects on Colbert's final we
Stephen Colbert Bids Farewell to The Late Show with Geeky, Emotional Finale
Stephen Colbert ended his run on CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a heartfelt and geeky finale. The episode featured an opening
Stephen Colbert Reflects on The Late Show's End as CBS Cites Financial Reasons
Stephen Colbert reflects on the end of his tenure as host of The Late Show, which concludes on May 21st after nearly 11 years. CBS states th
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/tout-The-Late-Show-with-Stephen-Colbert-050826-faf0ad32810b453892befc2294db8cfe.jpg)
Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' to End in May 2026 After 11 Seasons on CBS
Stephen Colbert announced in July 2025 that 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will end after 11 seasons, with the final episode airing in
People.com·20d ago