SUGAR HIGH: Just Three Days After Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘Big Comeback’ His Ratings Have Crashed by 70 Percent | The Gateway Pundit | by Mike LaChance

OutKick reports:

Understanding Sinclair’s Move on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Amid Dramatic 70% Ratings Plummet

In a plot twist befitting late-night television, Jimmy Kimmel’s fortunes have taken a turn for the better, at least temporarily.

Just earlier this week, ABC restored the late-night host after a brief hiatus, and Sinclair has opted to cease its preemptions of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its ABC affiliates immediately. Meanwhile, Nexstar has continued its blockade on the program across its 32 channels, but they too might soon bow to the inevitable.

Broadcast giants like Sinclair and Nexstar find their long-term leverage dwindling; ABC could still make the blockbuster move to terminate and replace its affiliates before the highly lucrative 2027 Super Bowl, a shift that could spell disaster for Sinclair and Nexstar’s bottom line.

However, questions linger regarding Kimmel’s ongoing relationship with ABC. For those speculating on Kimmel’s ability to maintain his recent surge in popularity, the data from Wednesday paints a stark story.

Wednesday’s average viewership of 2.4 million still outstripped Kimmel’s typical numbers (1.7 million), yet it starkly reflects a nearly 70% drop from his extraordinary Tuesday figure of 6.3 million.

Here’s how the late-night race shaped up on Wednesday:

– Gutfeld! (Fox News): 3,233,000
– Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC): 2,414,000
– The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS): 1,988,000
– The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC): 1,244,000

It’s easy to see why some analysts, such as CNN’s Brian Stelter—who might be vying for Kimmel’s attention—are leaning into Kimmel’s YouTube metrics over his television ratings this morning.

Bobby Burack, the author of the OutKick piece, shared his thoughts via Twitter:

Jimmy Kimmel shed 70% of his audience from Tuesday to Wednesday.

From 6.4 million to 2.4 million. I predict Kimmel will falter back under 2 million by Monday.

— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) September 26, 2025

As Gutfeld continues to lap his competitors, it appears many viewers tuned in merely to see if Kimmel would issue an apology—a moment that never came. And now, Kimmel finds himself once again teetering on the brink of obscurity.