“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” made its highly anticipated return to television on Tuesday night, drawing an impressive 6.26 million total viewers despite being preempted across nearly a quarter of U.S. TV households. The numbers, based on Nielsen data provided by Disney, reflect a dramatic surge compared to the late-night program’s typical performance. During the 2024-2025 season, which spanned September through May, Kimmel’s average audience was 1.42 million viewers.
The episode, which was pretaped and aired on Disney-owned ABC, marked the first time Jimmy Kimmel addressed his suspension from late-night television. The suspension followed a monologue in which he criticized supporters of former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement for their response to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In his return, Kimmel clarified his position. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he told viewers. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
Beyond traditional broadcast ratings, Kimmel’s lengthy monologue — which ran over 28 minutes — drew significant digital engagement. Disney reported more than 26 million views across YouTube and various social platforms within a day. Additionally, Tuesday’s broadcast delivered the show’s highest rating among adults aged 18 to 49 in more than ten years. In characteristic fashion, Kimmel used humor to address the controversy. “[Trump] tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show,” he quipped. “Backfired bigly.”
Despite the success, the show’s return faced resistance. Local station owners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group chose to preempt the episode, preventing many markets from airing it on ABC affiliates. Together, the two companies own approximately 70 ABC stations, meaning the decision affected nearly one-fourth of the country. Both groups cited concerns stemming from remarks made by Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who suggested that ABC affiliates could face potential risks to their broadcast licenses over the controversy.
On Wednesday, Nexstar said it was continuing to assess the situation and was engaged in ongoing discussions with Disney executives about the program’s future. Sinclair also confirmed that its discussions with ABC were ongoing as it evaluated whether to resume airing the show.
Even amid these hurdles, the strong ratings and massive digital reach of Kimmel’s return underscore his cultural relevance and the continued influence of late-night television in shaping public conversation.
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