Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Pulled by ABC Amid Controversy

President Donald Trump recently suggested that ABC has effectively canceled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely, amid declining ratings for late-night shows. This decline has been noticeable over the past decade.

On Wednesday, Disney confirmed it would remove “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its lineup. The decision followed pressure from ABC affiliate stations across the country, as well as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), due to Kimmel’s contentious remarks about the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk.

“Kimmel was let go because of the terrible reviews,” Trump stated during a press conference on Thursday.

According to ratings, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has seen a significant drop since 2015, averaging about 2.4 million viewers back then. By 2025, that number had fallen to 1.6 million, which represents a 37% decrease. The show struggled particularly within the key demographic of adults aged 25-54, where Kimmel’s audience slid from nearly 1 million viewers in 2015 to just 261,000 in 2025.

The decline in viewership correlates with the increasing popularity of streaming platforms. Interestingly, Kimmel’s competition, “Gutfeld!” on the Fox News Channel, outperformed him by a considerable margin, averaging 3.2 million viewers in 2025. In the coveted 25-54 demographic, “Gutfeld!” averaged 381,000 viewers compared to Kimmel’s 261,000.

The FCC’s actions came after Kimmel suggested that the individual charged in Charlie Kirk’s murder was linked to MAGA ideology. This prompted significant backlash from liberal audiences when ABC’s decision to cancel Kimmel’s show became known.

On Monday, Kimmel criticized the attempts of some groups to paint the accused as a leftist, even as those claims were challenged in a subsequent indictment. He stated, “We reached new lows this weekend with the MAGA crowd trying to disassociate themselves from the child who committed this act.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Kerr warned Disney of potential consequences if the matter wasn’t addressed. Shortly afterward, Nexstar Media Group, which owns numerous television stations, announced it would be pulling Kimmel’s show in favor of other programming, starting Wednesday night.

Sinclair, Inc. followed suit, announcing via social media that it would suspend airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” until further notice due to the inappropriate remarks related to Kirk’s assassination. Ultimately, Disney decided to take the show off the air entirely. A spokesperson for Disney remarked, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be off the air indefinitely.”