Ratings for Jimmy Kimmel were falling before he was suspended by ABC over comments about Charlie Kirk.

Viewership for Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show has significantly declined leading up to his suspension by Disney-owned ABC, which follows his remarks regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

According to Nielsen data, there has been a noticeable drop over the past year, particularly during the summer. Competing late-night shows, such as Greg Gutfeld on Fox News and Stephen Colbert on CBS, have shown stronger performance.

In August 2025, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged just 1.1 million viewers, a staggering 43% decrease from 1.95 million in January. His household rating for August hit a low of 0.35, marking the weakest performance of the year.

The coveted 18-49 demographic also saw a decline, with viewership dipping to 129,000 from January’s 212,000—potentially less than half of its earlier peak.

With Kimmel’s ABC contract ending next year, there’s growing uncertainty about whether “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” can regain its edge against competitors like Colbert, Fallon, and cable’s rising stars.

The latest on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension after Charlie Kirk’s comments

Kimmel has an ongoing contract with ABC that is effective until May 2026, following a three-year extension signed in September 2022.

Reports suggest his salary falls between $15 million and $16 million annually, with some estimates going as high as $20 million.

Despite the show’s indefinite suspension, ABC has yet to clarify if there will be any adjustments to Kimmel’s salary.

This year has not been kind to viewership figures, as the 2024 Nielsen review indicated Kimmel averaged 1.77 million viewers, a drop of 2.3% from 2023. Other shows showed significant growth, averaging 221,000 in key demos—up more than 12%.

In contrast, CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert remained at the top with 2.57 million viewers and 281,000 in key demos, despite a year-over-year decline.

NBC’s “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” had 1.37 million viewers and just slightly surpassed Kimmel in the demo with 220,000.

Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” continued to dominate cable ratings, averaging 2.76 million viewers, though it airs at 10 PM when more people are likely to watch.

Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” featuring John Stewart’s return, noted remarkable viewer growth—up 84% and 53% in key demos.

Kimmel’s performance has stumbled in 2025. After a decent winter and spring, his viewers fell consistently from June, with July averaging 1.23 million and dropping below 1.2 million in August.

Looking at quarterly trends, Kimmel started 2025 with an average of 1.82 million viewers in Q1 but dipped to 1.77 million in Q2. The alarming August figure hints at a deeper issue, though summer viewership typically wanes as shows often air reruns.