Kimmel’s Show Sees Surge in Viewership

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the late-night scene this Tuesday brought in his largest television audience in over ten years, as announced by ABC on Wednesday.

Research from Nielsen Media indicates that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” attracted more than 6 million viewers this week during its linear broadcasts.

This figure doesn’t account for over 20 million views from his opening monologue on YouTube or clips shared across social media.

Kimmel’s Tuesday episode garnered significant attention following his remarks related to the controversial comments made by conservatives about activist Charlie Kirk, especially after his suspension by Disney, which owns ABC. They accused former President Trump of making light of Kirk’s situation in an inappropriate manner.

Upon his return, Kimmel addressed the backlash, clarifying that he never meant to “reveal the murder of a young man” but did take aim at Trump’s administration for the way they handled the situation.

However, FCC Chairman Brendan Kerr intervened, expressing discontent over Kimmel’s remarks, and ABC along with network affiliates suggested stepping back from airing the show.

While Sinclair Broadcast and Nexstar Media Group manage the show, they announced mere hours before Kimmel’s return that he would be “indefinitely” pulled from broadcasting due to the ongoing rhetoric surrounding the comments.

Neither media group has indicated plans to resume airing Kimmel’s show anytime soon.

Kimmel and Trump have had a long-standing rivalry, and the hiatus from the show became a point of contention between them. Kimmel made headlines this week as he reclaimed his platform, responding to accusations of censorship and offering critiques that were deemed lacking in talent and viewership.

During his opening monologue, Kimmel, who usually sees around 2 million viewers each night, shared a clip of Trump claiming “no ratings.” He quipped, “Well, I’ll do it tonight. He did his best to cancel me and instead forced millions to tune in.”

Continuing with his playful tone, he added, “It backfired a lot. He might need to figure out how to release [Jeffrey] Epstein to distract us going forward.”