Los Angeles, CA – CBS premiered its latest late-night show, “After Midnight,” last night with promising numbers. Hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, the show garnered an average of 686,000 viewers in the 12:37am timeslot, according to Nielsen’s live+same day fast national data. This figure falls slightly short of the final season average for “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” which attracted 806,000 viewers.
It’s worth noting that the data does not yet account for out-of-home viewing, which will be included in Friday’s numbers. Additionally, networks typically focus more on the live+3 ratings. With its game show format, “After Midnight” may experience a larger boost in delayed viewing compared to traditional late-night shows, which tend to be more topical in nature.
The debut of “After Midnight” saw a 31% increase in viewership compared to the previous season’s timeslot. Previously, “Comics Unleashed” often aired during this time while CBS awaited the replacement for “The Late Late Show.” Furthermore, the show’s premiere marked CBS’ largest regularly scheduled audience in the 12:30am hour since Corden’s final episode, which was watched by 1.43 million viewers overnight.
The first episode of “After Midnight” featured guests Whitney Cummings, Aparna Nancherla, and Kurt Braunohler. Jack Martin, who served as the showrunner for all four seasons of “@midnight,” will now act as co-showrunner alongside Eric Pierce. The duo will work alongside executive producers Stephen Colbert, Carrie Byalick, Tom Purcell, Evelyn McGee Colbert, James Dixon, Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Whitney Hodack, Henry R. Muñoz III, and Jason U. Nadler.
As CBS ventures into the late-night game show arena with “After Midnight,” it remains to be seen if the show can sustain its audience and attract more viewers through delayed viewing. With its unique format and an array of talented producers, the show has the potential to carve out a niche in the late-night landscape. Only time will tell if “After Midnight” can become a late-night hit.