Kimmel’s return to ABC attracts his biggest audience ever
JIMMY KIMMEL’S return to late-night TV on Tuesday drew 6.26 million viewers, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network said in an e-mailed statement, the most ever in the show’s regular time slot.
The total is significantly higher than the 1.55 million viewers Jimmy Kimmel Live! has averaged this year, according to Nielsen data. ABC suspended the program on Sept. 17 following comments the host made two nights earlier about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
His monologue featured video of President Donald Trump speaking from Air Force One, saying the late-night comedian has “no talent” and “no ratings.”
“Well, I do tonight!” said a smiling Kimmel, as the studio audience stood in applause. “You almost have to feel sorry for him.”
In his opening remarks, Kimmel was overall supportive of Disney, although he said he disagreed with the decision to suspend him, which was reached by Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger and Dana Walden, the co-chair of Disney’s entertainment division.
Kimmel criticized Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, who had called on station owners to take the program off the air last week.
The numbers don’t include viewers who watched the program on streaming services. The total was particularly high considering that Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and Sinclair, Inc., two large owners of ABC affiliates, chose to not air the show. Together they reach about 23% of US households.
Late-night talk-show hosts have lost viewers for the most part, as audiences shift to streaming services and social media. Kimmel’s ratings this year are down about 37% from a decade ago, according to Nielsen data.
The host’s opening monologue was viewed more than 26 million times on YouTube and social media services. On social media, the monologue attracted nearly 26 million views, ABC reported. That included 15.3 million views on Alphabet’s YouTube, and another 6.3 million on Meta’s Instagram by late Wednesday afternoon.
ABC parent Disney’s decision to cut short Kimmel’s exile marked a high-profile act of corporate defiance in the face of Trump’s escalating crackdown on perceived enemies in the media through litigation and regulatory threats.
Disney was also under pressure from Kimmel’s fans, some of whom were canceling subscriptions to the company’s streaming services Disney+ and Hulu. Kimmel alluded to that in his monologue, joking that the company had asked him to read some remarks on the air.
“To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV-connected device,” he read.
Kimmel defended political satire against “bullying” from Trump and officials in his administration. Kimmel’s voice choked with emotion, moments after he took the stage to a standing ovation, and he said: “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.”
Before Tuesday’s broadcast, Trump said on his Truth Social online platform that he “can’t believe” ABC gave Kimmel back his show, and hinted at further action against the network.
Trump’s post called Kimmel “yet another arm” of the Democratic National Committee, and characterized the comedian’s jokes about the Republican administration as “a major illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.” Previously, Trump had said Kimmel was fired for “bad ratings.” — Bloomberg/Reuters
