Feb 14, 2024 - Business

Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" comeback is a huge ratings hit

Noah Bressner

Jon Stewart sits behind the Daily Show desk. — Jon Stewart returned to "The Daily Show" on Monday. Photo: Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" comeback on Monday night drew the show's biggest audience since 2018.

Why it matters: The reunion — almost nine years after Stewart departed — marked a key moment for a show that has struggled to retain viewers since he left.

By the numbers: Stewart's roast of President Biden, former President Trump and himself drew 1.9 million total viewers on Comedy Central and simulcasts on other channels owned by Paramount, per The Wrap.

Of those viewers, 930,000 watched on Comedy Central.
The data comes from live and same day numbers as reported by Nielsen, Variety reported.

Context: "The Daily Show" under Trevor Noah averaged an audience of 385,000 in 2022 — the last year it had a full-time host.

Go deeper: Jon Stewart says the "evisceration expectation" is the "worst legacy" of The Daily Show

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Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" comeback is a huge ratings hit

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