The Daily Show

What The Daily Show does

The Daily Show is an American late-night political satire and news comedy television program that premiered on Comedy Central in 1996 and is produced by Comedy Partners, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The show airs weeknights on Comedy Central at 11/10c and is available next-day on the Paramount+ streaming platform, with additional distribution through the Ears Edition and The Weekly Show podcasts on Spotify, a merchandise storefront (paramountshop.com), and live studio audience tapings accessed via the 1iota ticket lottery. Following the 2024 return of Jon Stewart as host, the program operates a multi-correspondent format (Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, Michael Kosta, Ronny Chieng, Josh Johnson) that produces the flagship show, the Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse spin-off series, and an Extended Interviews content library featuring politicians, athletes, actors, and public figures.

The show is owned and operated by Comedy Partners under Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), and is not independently capitalized — it does not have separate funding rounds or standalone financials. Its headquarters and production facilities are located at Comedy Central Studios, 1515 Broadway, New York. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: television advertising on Comedy Central, streaming licensing via Paramount+, merchandise sales through the dedicated Daily Show Shop, and podcast advertising on Spotify. Audience monetization therefore depends on the Paramount distribution and ad-sales infrastructure rather than direct consumer relationships. The company does not disclose show-level revenue, headcount for the broader operational footprint, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

The Daily Show

Legal name

Comedy Partners

Website

https://thedailyshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Daily Show is a weeknight American late-night political satire television program on Comedy Central, owned by Comedy Partners / Paramount Global, featuring host Jon Stewart and a correspondent team. It distributes via Paramount+ streaming, Spotify podcasts, live studio tapings, and merchandise, targeting mainstream viewers and politically engaged audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Late-Night Political Satire Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Political satire television
• Late-night comedy news
• Video streaming content
• Podcast production
• Comedy entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: The show generates revenue through television advertising during broadcast on Comedy Central, targeting political satire audiences with high-engagement comedic content.
2. Streaming Platform Licensing: Full episodes and exclusive content are available on Paramount+, with the platform offering subscription-based access to The Daily Show library and live streaming.
3. Merchandise Sales: The Daily Show operates a dedicated shop selling exclusive merchandise including clothing, drinkware, and accessories.
4. Podcast Distribution: The Daily Show: Ears Edition podcast is distributed through Spotify, generating revenue through podcast advertising and driving engagement for the television show.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Daily Show is a flagship weeknight late-night political satire television program on Comedy Central hosted by Jon Stewart, delivering comedic news commentary, headline coverage, celebrity interviews, and political interviews. The brand extends into spin-off series, podcasts on Spotify, extended on-demand interview video content, a merchandise shop, and live studio audience tapings. Content is distributed via Comedy Central broadcast, Paramount+ streaming, Spotify, social media, and the show's dedicated digital properties.

Product overview

The Daily Show is a multi-platform entertainment brand centered on its flagship weeknight political satire TV series hosted by Jon Stewart on Comedy Central. The brand extends across several related products: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse (a field interview spin-off series), The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (a weekly podcast on Spotify), The Daily Show: Ears Edition (an award-winning podcast featuring full episodes and extended content), and Extended Interviews (on-demand video interview content). Supporting offerings include The Daily Show Tickets for live studio audience attendance, The Daily Show Shop for merchandise, and The Daily Show Internship program. Content is distributed primarily through Paramount+ streaming and Comedy Central's website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Daily Show The flagship weeknight late-night political satire and news comedy television series broadcast on Comedy Central and streamed on Paramount+, hosted by Jon Stewart, delivering headlines, interviews, and comedic commentary on current events for adult entertainment audiences.
• Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse A spin-off streaming series featuring correspondent Jordan Klepper conducting field interviews and field segments covering political and cultural topics, distributed on Paramount+.
• The Daily Show: Ears Edition An award-winning podcast available on Spotify featuring full episodes of The Daily Show, extended content, and exclusive interviews for audio audiences.
• The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart A weekly podcast on Spotify where Jon Stewart and special guests discuss challenges, changes, and ideas shaping the world, complementary to the main Daily Show broadcast.
• The Daily Show Shop The official merchandise store selling exclusive gear branded with The Daily Show, including clothing, drinkware, and accessories, hosted on paramountshop.com.
• The Daily Show Tickets (Live Studio Audience Tapings) Opportunity for fans to attend live studio tapings of The Daily Show in New York through a ticket lottery system on 1iota.com, providing in-person audience participation.
• The Daily Show Internship Program A production-focused paid internship program (at $17.00 per hour) for spring, summer, and fall semesters, with placements in Audience, Talent, Office, Post Production, and Packages departments for those wanting to learn how a late-night show is produced.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Paramount+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParamount+ serves as the exclusive streaming home for The Daily Show, offering next-day access to full episodes and exclusive extended interview content. The partnership leverages Paramount's streaming infrastructure to deliver on-demand content to subscribers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Late Night with Seth Meyers: Late Night with Seth Meyers is a weeknight late-night talk show on NBC featuring political commentary (particularly "A Closer Look" segments), celebrity interviews, and comedy. It directly competes for the politically-engaged late-night audience and advertiser pool, with similar distribution via broadcast and Peacock streaming.
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Last Week Tonight is a weekly political satire/comedy news program on HBO (also under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella), sharing the same core format of comedic analysis of current events and politics. While weekly rather than daily, it competes directly for the same politically-engaged comedy audience and operates under a similar streaming-first monetization model on Max.
• Real Time with Bill Maher: Real Time with Bill Maher is a weekly political talk/comedy show on HBO featuring interview-driven political commentary. It directly competes for the politically-engaged audience seeking comedy-infused political analysis, distributed via HBO/Max streaming, with a comparable premium-cable positioning to The Daily Show's Comedy Central/Paramount+ distribution.
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: The Tonight Show is NBC's flagship weeknight late-night talk show, featuring celebrity interviews and comedy segments. While less politically focused than The Daily Show, it competes for the same broadcast time slot (11:30/10:30c), late-night advertising dollars, and the broader late-night viewing audience on broadcast TV and Peacock streaming.
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the most direct peer — a weeknight late-night political satire/comedy talk show on broadcast television (CBS), distributed via Paramount+, with the same parent company. It competes for the same time slot, advertiser pool, and late-night audience as The Daily Show, making it the closest comparable in format, distribution, and business model.
• Saturday Night Live: Saturday Night Live is a flagship late-night comedy program on NBC, featuring political satire sketches, celebrity interviews, and live broadcast. It directly competes for the political comedy audience, late-night advertising dollars, and Peacock streaming engagement, with comparable legacy status (since 1975) and broadcast-plus-streaming distribution.
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Jimmy Kimmel Live! is a weeknight late-night talk/comedy show on ABC, featuring celebrity interviews, comedy sketches, and political commentary. It directly competes with The Daily Show for the same evening broadcast time slot, advertiser pool, and politically-engaged late-night audience, with similar streaming distribution on Hulu.

Emerging players

• The Daily Wire: The Daily Wire is a digital-native conservative media company producing podcasts, original video content, and commentary programming (including The Ben Shapiro Show). It represents a newer, digitally-distributed competitor to The Daily Show in political commentary/comedy, capturing audiences who prefer podcast and YouTube formats over broadcast TV, and competing for politically-engaged viewers across ideological lines.
• The Joe Rogan Experience: The Joe Rogan Experience is a flagship long-form interview podcast on Spotify, featuring political figures, celebrities, and cultural commentary. While not strictly comedy news, it competes for the same podcast-listening politically-engaged audience that The Daily Show: Ears Edition targets, and represents the broader podcast-format competition for late-night audience share.
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Full Frontal was a weekly political satire/comedy show on TBS (WarnerMedia), created by former Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee. While the show ended its run, it represents a direct format peer that competed for the same politically-engaged comedy audience and advertiser pool, with similar cable-plus-streaming distribution economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dailyshow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheDailyShow
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheDailyShow
• Instagraminstagram.com/dailyshow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-daily-show

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Daily Show