Jon Stewart's 'The Daily Show' Return Draws Record Viewership

Stewart's second episode since returning to the show sees a 35% increase in viewers, as he humorously addresses criticisms.

Jon Stewart's second appearance on 'The Daily Show' since his return attracted 1.3 million viewers on Comedy Central, marking the highest viewership for the show on the network since his departure in 2015.
The episode's viewership represents a 35% increase from Stewart's first appearance since returning, with initial numbers not including additional views from Paramount-owned channels and streaming services.
Stewart addressed criticisms of 'bothsidesism' from his first episode, humorously dismissing the backlash and engaging in a satirical critique of Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin.
The strong viewership numbers for Stewart's return episodes have also had a positive 'halo effect' on subsequent 'The Daily Show' episodes hosted by Jordan Klepper.
Despite the success, it remains too early to fully assess Stewart's impact on the show's direction and viewership trends.