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When Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to ABC on Tuesday night, there was a surge of attention from the public, and the numbers showed just how much buzz there was. After taking almost a week off air amid controversy, Kimmel returned with 6.26 million viewers that night (live + same day ratings), a massive increase over its normal audience.
This return wasn't just a return to regularly scheduled programming. It was a moment of media spectacle, political tension, and cultural conversation all in one. The ratings were quite surprising, particularly because the show typically doesn't get a lot of carry. It averages 1.7 million viewers, and this episode had more than three times that.
And that's just on conventional television. Online clips are likely pulling in even more, particularly the opening monologue. Some local channel affiliates didn't even air it, so it could be truly even bigger than the numbers suggest.
What happened before Tuesday was just as dramatic as the big ratings. ABC had actually pulled the plug on the show "indefinitely" because of the backlash over comments Jimmy Kimmel made about the death of conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
The network faced a lot of pressure the FCC chairman weighed in, there were threats and warnings aimed at ABC, and big station groups like Nexstar and Sinclair flat-out refused to air the show. Because of those refusals, about a quarter of U.S. households couldn’t even watch the episode on their local ABC channels.
Despite the challenges, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! reached new heights. Let's explore more about the show below.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! triumphs over ratings amid controversy
The return episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! wasn’t just about big ratings. It also felt like a test of where free speech and comedy stand on TV today. In his opening monologue, Kimmel didn’t avoid the controversy.
He showed sympathy for the tragedy, explained what he meant by his earlier comments, but also made it clear he wouldn’t be silenced. And in true Kimmel fashion, he joked back at critics who said nobody would watch, pointing out, "Well, I do tonight."
Despite this significant return, there were still challenges to face. Television networks Nexstar and Sinclair continued to keep the program out of many areas, meaning roughly 23% of U.S. households were unable to watch Tuesday’s episode on TV.
Nevertheless, the show delivered a solid 0.87 rating in adults 18-49, marking the best outing for a regular airing of Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode in more than 10 years. The response to the show was evident on social media as well.
Disney announced that Kimmel's opening stand-up monologue became an internet sensation. In the first 12 hours since it aired, the clip had already accumulated more than 11 million views across YouTube and social media.
By the next morning, it was over 26 million views, and it appeared to be on track to be one of the most viewed monologues of his career. So, despite the controversy about Kimmel's comment on Kirk's death, the host was able to bring in an impressive viewership.
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