Kimmel gets his best ratings in a decade thanks to the controversy over his suspension

The return of Jimmy Kimmel's show to the air on ABC gave the comedian his best ratings in a decade. The controversy generated by the suspension after his controversial words about the murder of Charlie Kirk last week notably benefited "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" viewership, which prior to its removal and return had declined considerably.

According to Disney, which owns the channel, 6.2 million people tuned into the broadcast. During the 2024-2025 season, the slot averaged 1.4 million viewers, representing a fourfold increase in viewership on Tuesday.

More than 26 million people viewed Kimmel's monologue on RRSS

It must be taken into account that almost a quarter of the country's households could not follow the program because of the refusal from Sinclair and Nesxtstar, two of ABC's major local broadcast affiliates, to reair the show before Kimmel apologizes.

In addition, another 26 million people watched Kimmel's monologue via social media, the company pointed out in a statement. "It was the show's best performance in 10 years," the Disney release added.

Kimmel portrayed himself as a martyr to censorship in his return

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was suspended following the controversy stirred up by his words about Kirk's murder and his insinuation that the conservative influencer's killer, Tyler Robinson, was actually a MAGA supporter and not a left-wing radical. The earthquake caused some ABC affiliates to announce they would pull the show off the air, to which were added warnings from the federal administration.

However, a week later, Disney lifted the suspension and last Tuesday the comedian returned to the stage. Defiant and avoiding apology, Kimmel used his first monologue to portray himself as a martyr to censorship and attack Trump: "A government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn't like is anti-American," he told his audience.