Jimmy Kimmel Live’s ratings may not be huge and there’s a simple reason

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Now that Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back on television, everyone is wondering about its viewership numbers. While the show’s ratings on ABC may not be record-breaking, a significant number of people still watched.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to television following a recent dispute. Last week, his show aired an episode on September 15th that received criticism from the head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr. As a result, broadcasting companies Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would stop airing the show.

ABC took a similar action, leading to a discussion about freedom of speech and controlling what the media can show. People online called for a boycott of Disney, which owns ABC, and over 400 celebrities signed a letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel and the right to free expression.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was back on the air Tuesday, September 23rd, after a week of talks. Everyone was eager to hear what Kimmel would say, especially given all the recent news, and to see how the show’s return would affect viewership.

How many people watched Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night?

Although official ratings from Nielsen aren’t available yet, online viewing numbers have been very strong. As of now, Jimmy Kimmel’s 28-minute opening speech has already been watched over 9.3 million times on YouTube in just 10 hours.

As a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel, I’ve noticed a lot more people are watching his clips online lately! CNN reported the average clip gets around 240,000 views, which is amazing. It makes me wonder if that’s why his regular TV ratings haven’t been as high as you’d think – maybe everyone’s just watching online now instead!

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back on ABC and can be watched on Hulu, but 70 local ABC stations – owned by companies like Sinclair and Nexstar – are still refusing to broadcast the show.

This means that 20% of homes in the US weren’t able to watch last night’s episode. Jimmy Kimmel mentioned this issue right before introducing a sketch with Robert De Niro.

Because Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue was posted online so quickly, many people are choosing to watch it that way instead. One viewer commented, “Thanks for putting this up quickly for those of us who can’t watch it live.”

People watching from New Orleans and other areas reported that the show wasn’t available on local TV. One viewer said they and others filed complaints with the station. Another, watching from the Seattle area, expressed disappointment about the lack of local broadcast but was happy they could still watch on YouTube and was glad the show was back.

The show’s popularity also grew because it started getting attention from international news outlets, attracting viewers from around the world. One fan from Cameroon shared, “I’m so glad you’re back!” while another praised Jimmy, saying, “You’re a legend, and your influence reaches far beyond the US.”

Someone from Nicaragua shared that free speech in their country is severely restricted. They urged listeners to appreciate and protect their own freedoms, emphasizing how fortunate they are to live in a place where those freedoms exist.

TV ratings for both traditional channels and streaming services definitely jumped last night – searches for ‘Jimmy Kimmel time’ increased by an incredible 10,000%, according to CNN – but the number of people watching online may have been even higher.

A key reason cited for the calls to cancel Jimmy Kimmel’s show was his low viewership, with President Trump stating he was “fired because of bad ratings more than anyone else.”

Like many late-night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has seen its audience shrink with the rise of streaming. Average viewership has fallen from 2.4 million in 2015 to 1.77 million in the first half of 2025.

This episode demonstrates that low TV ratings don’t give a complete picture of a show’s popularity. While initial viewership numbers might be down from previous episodes, the huge amount of online discussion and engagement proves Jimmy Kimmel still has a large and dedicated audience – they’re just watching in new and different ways.

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2025-09-24 19:53