Nearly 7 million viewers watched Stephen Colbert make his debut as the new host of CBS' "The Late Show."
According to Nielsen, the former Comedy Central star averaged 6.6 million on Tuesday as he stepped onto the Ed Sullivan Theater stage to succeed David Letterman on the late night program.
Among viewers in the 18 to 49 age group most sought after by advertisers, Colbert scored a 1.4 rating.
Colbert topped the usual late night leader "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," which averaged 2.9 million viewers and a .9 rating among 18- to 49-year-olds. ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" averaged 1.