Jimmy Kimmel's comeback episode scores best ratings in 10 years
What's the story
Jimmy Kimmel's emotional return to late-night television on Tuesday night (US time) has broken records. The first episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after his suspension drew an average of 6.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched regularly scheduled episode in over a decade. This viewership is more than three times the show's usual numbers despite being blacked out in several US markets.
Viewership surge
'JKL' saw a 343% increase in viewership
The viewership for Kimmel's return episode marked a staggering 343% increase from the previous season's average of 1.4 million viewers, according to preliminary data from Nielsen. The show has only surpassed this number twice in its history during special Sunday episodes following the 2006 Super Bowl and the 2014 Oscars.
Monologue impact
Kimmel's monologue on free speech went viral
Kimmel's monologue on free speech in America has also made a significant impact. The episode was blacked out in many markets due to the continued preemption by two major TV station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair. These groups have ABC-affiliated stations that account for about 23% of US TV households. Despite this, Kimmel's monologue video has been viewed over 19 million times on YouTube so far, making it his most-watched monologue ever on the platform.
Demographic boost
Historic return for 'JKL'
Among adults aged 18-49, Jimmy Kimmel Live! achieved a rating of 0.87, a staggering 568% increase from the previous season's average rating of 0.13. This also marked the highest demo rating for a regularly scheduled episode since 2015. The show returned after an indefinite suspension by ABC following criticism over Kimmel's comments on conservative activist Charlie Kirk's murder earlier this month.