Stephen Colbert Is Outpacing the Competition for This Reason

For the last several months, The Late Show with Stephen Colberthas emerged as the clear frontrunner in a crowded late-night talk show market. Despite programs such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallononce being ratings juggernauts, they have trailed Colbert in viewership for the majority of 2024 and struggled to keep pace on a nightly basis. Despite some shows still having the potential to rival Colbert for the top spot, most programs are not pulling in an impressive audience in the late-night circuit. However, Colbert's recent success cannot be just attributed to being on a national network and airing during a prime timeslot, as many of his competitors also have the same privileges. This begs the question, what has Colbert applied to his programming that has given him a lead over his rivals?