Trump said Kimmel had ‘no ratings’. A record number of viewers disagreed

Millions of people tuned in to Jimmy Kimmel Live! to watch the host’s return to late-night television after a near week-long suspension, propelling the show to a 10-year ratings high among adult viewers, ABC said.

The network said 6.26 million viewers watched Kimmel on Tuesday night (US time) as he used sincerity and humour to thank his supporters while addressing remarks he had made on September 15 about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Jimmy Kimmel’s return to television resulted in record ratings for his late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!Credit: AP

It was the highest-rated regularly scheduled episode of the late-night show, which typically attracts an average of 1.42 million nightly viewers, ABC said.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! achieved the ratings milestone even though the show did not reach about a quarter of American households. ABC affiliates in several major markets did not carry the show, which aired hours after network parent Walt Disney lifted Kimmel’s suspension.

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.

His monologue featured video of US 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.”

Pressure from Trump administration

Kimmel returned to the air six days after his remarks about Kirk’s accused killer provoked social media outrage and pressure from Trump’s administration.

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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 cancelling 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 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.”

Last week, Kimmel said Trump’s supporters were eager to characterise Kirk’s assassin “as anything other than one of them” and accused them of trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s killing.

Jimmy Kimmel and his long-time sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez on his return to late night TV.Credit: Disney via Getty Images

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 characterised 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”.

The late-night format has been struggling for years, as more viewers have abandoned cable television and migrated to streaming. Younger viewers, in particular, are more apt to find amusement on YouTube or TikTok, leaving smaller audiences and declining ad revenues for traditional TV.

Nexstar opts out of Kimmel

Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair opted on Tuesday to keep Jimmy Kimmel Live! off their combined 70 owned and operated ABC stations, which account for about 23 per cent of US households. That meant the show was not seen over the air in places such as Seattle, Salt Lake City, Utah, Nashville and New Orleans, among other markets. It also did not air in Washington, D.C.

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Nexstar said on Wednesday that it is evaluating the status of the show, which it will continue to pre-empt on its
ABC-affiliated local television stations. “We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at the Walt Disney Company, with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” the company said in a statement.

Still, Disney offers Kimmel’s show for viewing on a number of streaming apps, which are accessible all over the country.

Following Kimmel’s remarks last week, US Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr threatened an investigation of ABC and its affiliates. He urged television stations to drop Kimmel’s show or face possible fines and revocation of their broadcast licences. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on September 17, which brought calls for his resignation from Democrats and sharp criticism from Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz.

In his monologue, Kimmel thanked Cruz and other conservatives who did not support his views but supported his right to express them. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right,” Kimmel said to a chorus of laughter.

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