The Super Bowl Is Colbert's Opening Act, and He's Ready to Make the Most of It

With a champion time slot following the Super Bowl, there’s no way the host of CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to fumble his golden moment.

- Jason Lynch

CBS should have no problem drawing at least 110 million viewers to its Super Bowl 50 broadcast on Feb. 7, but the network has even grander ambitions for what could turn out to be a record-breaking audience. For the first time, the network has given over its coveted post-Super Bowl slot not to one of its prime-time series, but to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the biggest spotlight ever for a late-night broadcast.

It’s a huge vote of confidence in—and an even bigger opportunity for—Colbert, who has accomplished nearly everything that CBS hoped for since he left Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, on which he satirized conservative hosts like Bill O’Reilly for nine years, to take over for David Letterman, who retired last May. Since launching in September, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has grown 18 percent in total viewers (3.16 million), 67 percent in adults 18-34 and 60 percent in adults 18-49 (0.8 rating) versus last season, and has overtaken Jimmy Kimmel Live as the No. 2 show in adults 18-49. (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remains comfortably in the lead this season, with 3.88 million total viewers and a 1.09 demo rating.) Most importantly, Colbert has made late night a lucrative daypart once again for CBS. During the fall, the network doubled its Late Show ad rates from a year earlier, according to SQAD NetCosts.

The network hopes Sunday's broadcast will continue Colbert's momentum and help The Late Show gain even more ground on Fallon. "It's going to be the greatest late-night, post-Super Bowl show ever," said Colbert of the episode, which will feature Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Margot Robbie, Key & Peele, and at least one surprise guest. "The only, but also the greatest."