David Letterman’s Final Show Draws 13.8 Million Viewers

David Letterman’s final show was one of the highest-rated shows of his career.

The final Late Show attracted nearly 13.8 million viewers on May 20.

The last time David Letterman had so many viewers was in February 1994, when his show aired after CBS’ coverage of the Winter Olympics.

David Letterman, now 68, began his late-night career on NBC in 1982, before moving to CBS’s Late Show in 1993.

The finale show, which ran 17 minutes over the usual hour, kicked off with a two-minute standing ovation.

David Letterman was joined by guests including Steve Martin, Peyton Manning, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey and Jim Carrey.

Foo Fighters performed David Letterman’s favorite song, Everlong. The rock band once performed the song, by request, after David Letterman’s open-heart surgery in 2000.

The finale also saw a rise in viewers for The Late Late Show, which followed directly after. Four million viewers tuned in to watch James Corden, the host’s highest rating over his first two months in the job.

However, David Letterman’s final show failed to draw in as many viewers as Jay Leno’s farewell from The Tonight Show in 2014, which averaged 14.6 million viewers.

Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central’s acclaimed late-night show The Colbert Report, will succeed David Letterman.