Jimmy Kimmel may have rattled the scene with his record-breaking return, lighting up headlines and stirring the industry with talk of a comeback for the ages — but the spotlight is blinding the bigger truth.

Behind the roar, Greg Gutfeld’s reign hasn’t slipped an inch, his grip on the throne still as fierce and immovable as ever.

And the story buried in the ratings isn’t just about who’s winning now — it’s about the shockwave still to come

Greg Gutfeld Still Dominates Late-Night TV Even Though Jimmy Kimmel Just Made a Massive Return

Jimmy Kimmel’s recent return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! was nothing short of explosive. After being temporarily canceled and then making his way back on air, Kimmel delivered a monologue that immediately caught the attention of headlines and drew in a staggering 6.26 million viewers, his biggest audience in over a decade. The numbers were eye-popping, especially compared to his average of around 1.77 million viewers in the second quarter of 2025, and his comeback performance was bolstered by more than 14 million social media views in the first 48 hours. For a moment, it seemed as if Kimmel had retaken the crown of late-night TV. But when the noise settles, one fact remains unchanged: Greg Gutfeld still dominates the field.

The strength of Gutfeld! has been its consistency. Even without the drama of a sudden suspension or media storm, Gutfeld routinely draws an audience that rivals or surpasses broadcast competitors. In the second quarter of 2025, his nightly average was 3.29 million viewers, a full million and a half more than Stephen Colbert’s Late Show and nearly double Jimmy Kimmel’s usual draw. Jimmy Fallon, once seen as a strong challenger, averaged only 1.19 million. The contrast could not be starker: while Kimmel’s spike made news, Gutfeld’s stable lead has been the real story shaping late-night television.

The difference becomes even more striking when looking back at Gutfeld’s biggest nights. In September 2024, his show hit nearly 4.9 million viewers during a highly publicized episode featuring former president Donald Trump, outdrawing network hits like Survivor and The Golden Bachelorette. That episode also delivered 744,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25–54 demographic, a number broadcast executives could only envy. Meanwhile, Kimmel’s current record-setting episode owes much of its success to the drama of his suspension and the frenzy around his return, raising the question of whether he can sustain those levels once the headlines fade.

Part of Gutfeld’s dominance comes from his positioning. Unlike the traditional 11:30 p.m. start times of Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel, Gutfeld airs at 10 p.m., where his mix of political humor, panel debates, and irreverent commentary taps into an audience that might not otherwise stick around for late-night comedy. His show has also cultivated a reputation for appealing not just to conservatives, but to independents and even some Democrats, giving him a broader reach than many initially expected when Fox News announced a comedy-focused late-night program.

What’s unfolding now is a rare case where broadcast and cable late-night shows are competing on almost equal footing, but their strategies differ dramatically. Kimmel thrives on viral moments, celebrity interviews, and the occasional storm of controversy. Gutfeld, on the other hand, wins by simply being steady, predictable, and powerful in his delivery of ratings night after night. Kimmel’s 6.26 million might stand as a historic high-water mark for his show, but Gutfeld’s average—nearly double Kimmel’s usual performance—shows why his position as the most-watched late-night host remains unshaken.

The late-night war is far from over, and Kimmel’s surge proves that viewers still crave event television when the stakes feel high. But in the long game, it’s Gutfeld who continues to dominate, rewriting the rules of what late-night success looks like. Whether his competitors like it or not, the crown of late-night comedy is no longer on the broadcast networks—it belongs to cable, and Greg Gutfeld wears it with ease.