Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS
George Clooney was Stephen Colbert's first "Late Show" guest.
According to Nielsen's early ratings numbers, Colbert's audience beat the competition by 100% or more.
In metered markets, the CBS "Late Show" debut earned a 4.9/13 rating. That's nearly double his closest late night competition, Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight Show" on NBC, which earned a 2.4/6. ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" trailed in third place with a 1.4/4.
Colbert's "Late Show" not only beat the competition, but it beat David Letterman's show in year-over-year numbers. It was up 172% from the same night last year (1.8/05) and up 123% from the "Late Show's" season premiere last year (2.2/04).
Nielsen will release more information later on Wednesday.
For his first episode of "Late Show," Colbert's guests were actor and activist George Clooney and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Mavis Staples, John Legend and others joined Colbert and his house band on the song, "Everyday People." Even former boss, Jon Stewart, made a cameo during the cold open.