The much-anticipated episode of **“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”** following the comedian’s return from suspension drew a broadcast audience about four times larger than average, according to Nielsen ratings data. This impressive viewership came despite the late-night show being preempted by about a quarter of all ABC affiliate TV stations in the U.S.
Tuesday’s episode attracted an estimated **6.26 million total broadcast viewers**, Disney revealed in a news release Wednesday, citing numbers compiled by Nielsen, an audience measurement firm. Notably, this data does not include viewers who watched the episode via streaming platforms.
For comparison, Kimmel’s show averaged only **1.42 million broadcast viewers** during its 2024-25 season—less than a quarter of the audience drawn on Tuesday night, according to a Disney spokesperson.
Tuesday’s broadcast also earned a **0.87 rating** in the coveted demographic of adults aged 18 to 49, marking the highest rating for a single episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since March 2015. The show had averaged a 0.13 rating in this age group last season, Disney reported.
In addition to broadcast ratings, Kimmel’s monologue garnered more than **26 million views on YouTube and other social media platforms**, according to Disney, which owns ABC.
During the monologue, Kimmel featured a video clip of former President Trump criticizing the show, claiming it “had no ratings.” Kimmel’s sharp response: **“Well, I do tonight.”**
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The late-night show was temporarily preempted last week after Kimmel’s comments during a September 15 monologue regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
In a September 17 interview, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “some of the sickest conduct possible” and suggested there was a “path forward for suspension over this.”
Within hours, two major station owners—Nexstar and Sinclair—announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show indefinitely on their affiliates. ABC also announced an indefinite suspension of the show.
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While ABC decided to bring Kimmel back to the airwaves on Monday, Nexstar and Sinclair maintained their indefinite preemptions on Tuesday. Nexstar said it is “continuing to evaluate the status” of the show.
Nexstar operates 33 ABC affiliates, and Sinclair runs 38 ABC stations. Together, these companies represent about **23% of the U.S. market**, including major cities like Nashville and Seattle, according to Disney.
Nexstar currently has a pending deal to purchase fellow station operator Tegna for $6.2 billion, a transaction requiring FCC approval.
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In his Tuesday monologue, Kimmel did not issue a full apology but emphasized, **“It’s important to me as a human, and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”**
Following his suspension on September 17, former President Trump, who has long criticized late-night hosts dating back to his first administration and frequently targeted their ratings, posted on Truth Social: **“The ‘ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.’”**
Before Tuesday’s show aired, Trump again took to social media, writing, **“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!”**
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*This report was contributed to by multiple sources.*
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-ratings-jump-highest-in-years-return-to-abc-airwaves/
