Jon Stewart has returned to The Daily Show and hosts the program one night a week for election season. News of Stewart’s return was hyped by the liberal media, as journalists are some of Stewart’s biggest fans.
Stewart’s big return has certainly improved ratings for the show, but the numbers aren’t as impressive when looked at in the context of other comparable programs.
The same night it debuted, Stewart was crushed in the ratings by Greg Gutfeld, who emerged as a serious force in late night.
The Western Journal reports:
Gutfeld ruins Jon Stewart’s big night, Steamrolls Lib Comic in ratings
Well, the ratings increased and it was an avalanche of votes. It was epic…
Greg Gutfeld dunked Jon Stewart.
According to Nielsen, the first episode of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central drew just 930,000 viewers in the 11-11:50 pm ET time slot. More importantly – and worse for Stewart and company – there were only 320,000 viewers in the coveted 25-54 age bracket.
To an outsider to the industry, these numbers might seem respectable. However, those numbers are down significantly from the 2014 numbers for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” when it got 1.4 million total viewers and 672,000 viewers in the coveted 25-54 demo.
The bad news for “The Daily Show” doesn’t end there.
The same evening as the prime minister, Greg Gutfeld presenting “Gutfeld!” 10-11pm ET had 2.2 million viewers overall, with 328,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo, beating Stewart in both categories. So much for the myth that conservatives are just old, angry white men.
The final nail in liberal Jon Stewart’s coffin was his face-off with “Fox News @ Night” at 11 p.m. ET. The show produced 1.3 million viewers.
The media landscape has changed in Jon Stewart’s absence. While liberals are delighted with his return, it’s clear he doesn’t retain the influence he had in 2015. No one laughs more than Gutfeld.