The much-anticipated episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Stay!” following the comic’s return from his suspension drew a broadcast viewers about 4 occasions bigger than common, in accordance with Nielsen rankings information. This was regardless of the late-night present being preempted by a few quarter of all ABC affiliate TV stations within the U.S.
Tuesday’s present drew an estimated 6.26 million complete broadcast viewers, Disney stated in a information launch Wednesday, per numbers compiled by Nielsen, an viewers measurement agency. The information doesn’t embody those that watched the episode on streaming platforms.
For comparability, in accordance with numbers supplied to CBS Information by a Disney spokesperson, Kimmel’s present averaged 1.42 million broadcast viewers throughout its 2024-25 season, lower than 1 / 4 of what it noticed on Tuesday evening.
Tuesday’s broadcast additionally drew an 0.87 ranking within the coveted demographic of adults ages 18 to 49, Disney stated, the very best for a single episode of Kimmel’s present since March of 2015. The present averaged an 0.13 ranking for that age group final season, Disney stated.
Kimmel’s monologue additionally drew greater than 26 million views on YouTube and different social platforms, in accordance with Disney which owns ABC. In it, he confirmed a video clip of President Trump criticising the present, saying it “had no rankings.”
The host responded: “Properly, I do tonight.”
The late-night present was briefly preempted final week following feedback Kimmel made throughout a Sept. 15 monologue relating to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang attempting to characterize this child who murdered Charlie Kirk as something apart from one among them, and doing every little thing they will to attain political factors from it,” Kimmel stated on the time.
In a Sept. 17 interview, Federal Communications Fee Chair Brendan Carr referred to as Kimmel’s remarks “among the sickest conduct potential,” and stated there was a “path ahead for suspension over this.” Inside hours of Carr’s feedback, two main station house owners, Nexstar and Sinclair, introduced they had been preempting Kimmel’s present indefinitely from their associates, whereas ABC additionally introduced that it was “indefinitely” suspending the present.
Whereas ABC introduced Monday that it had made the choice to deliver Kimmel again to the airwaves, each Nexstar and Sinclair stated Tuesday that the present will proceed to be preempted indefinitely.
Nexstar stated it’s “persevering with to judge the standing” of the present. It operates 33 ABC associates, whereas Sinclair runs 38 ABC stations. Based on Disney, the 2 media corporations account for ABC stations in about 23% of the U.S. market, together with in giant markets like Nashville and Seattle.
Nexstar additionally has a deal pending to buy fellow station operator Tegna for $6.2 billion, and wishes the FCC’s approval for the deal.
In his monologue Tuesday, whereas he didn’t problem a blanket apology over his feedback, Kimmel stated that “it is necessary to me as a human, and that’s, you perceive that it was by no means my intention to make mild of the homicide of a younger man. I do not suppose there’s something humorous about it.”
In a Sept. 17 Reality Social publish following Kimmel’s suspension, Mr. Trump — who has railed in opposition to late-night hosts for years going again to his first administration, and has particularly criticized their rankings — wrote on Reality Social that “the “rankings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Present is CANCELLED.”
Earlier than the present aired Tuesday, Mr. Trump once more took to social media to put in writing that “I am unable to consider ABC Faux Information gave Jimmy Kimmel his job again. The White Home was informed by ABC that his Present was cancelled!”
contributed to this report.
