“Jimmy Kimmel Live” made a spectacular return to television screens, drawing in an impressive 6.3 million viewers on Tuesday, marking its highest regular episode viewership to date.
Throughout its history, the show has only surpassed this figure twice, during significant Sunday specials that followed the Super Bowl in 2006 and the Oscars in 2014. This surge in viewership reflects a staggering 343% increase compared to the previous season’s average of just 1.4 million viewers.
According to preliminary Live + Same Day Nielsen data, the actual viewership for Tuesday’s episode could have been even higher. Currently, Nexstar and Sinclair are preempting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in various markets, resulting in the episode not airing in 23% of households across the United States.
For the key demographic of adults aged 18-49, the show scored a noteworthy 0.87 rating, which is a remarkable 568% improvement from the season average of 0.13, and marks the highest rating for a regularly scheduled episode since 2015.
During his much-anticipated monologue on Tuesday, Kimmel humorously acknowledged the record-breaking viewership his show was likely to achieve. Over the previous six days that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was off the air, various critics, including Donald Trump and certain Fox News anchors, claimed that Kimmel’s show suffered from poor ratings. Responding to the naysayers, Kimmel quipped, “Well, I do tonight!” He added, “You almost have to feel sorry for [Trump]. He tried his hardest to cancel me. Instead, he ended up forcing millions of people to tune in. That completely backfired. He might have to release the Epstein files now just to divert our attention from this!”
Kimmel dedicated a significant portion of his monologue to the value of free speech and extended gratitude to those who highlighted the importance of the First Amendment during his recent suspension. He expressed his appreciation for fellow late-night hosts with similar liberal views, stating, “But mostly, I want to thank individuals who may not support my show or my beliefs but still defend my right to voice them. Unexpectedly, people like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and even my old friend Ted Cruz offered some beautiful words on my behalf.”
“Although I frequently disagree with many of these individuals—some of whom make me want to cringe—it takes a certain bravery to stand up against the current administration, and they deserve recognition for doing so,” Kimmel concluded, emphasizing the fundamental principles of free speech that resonate through his personal experiences.
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