Jimmy Kimmel breaks viewership records post-controversial season premiere

Entertainment Sep 25, 2025

Jimmy Kimmel returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, pulling in a record-breaking 6.3 million viewers—despite TV blackouts hitting nearly a quarter of US households.
This was his first episode back after being suspended for controversial comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel's monolog on free speech goes viral

The episode saw viewership soar by 343% compared to last season, with ratings among 18-49-year-olds jumping an impressive 568%—the best in over a decade.
Kimmel also addressed the recent backlash on air, saying he understood why some people were upset and clarifying he never meant to link Kirk's killer to any political party.
His monolog on free speech went viral online, reaching even more people beyond TV.