Jimmy Kimmel Nears Pre-Suspension Ratings, Loses 85% of Key Demo Viewers After Comeback Episode

Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings surge following his return from suspension appears to be short-lived, with viewership rapidly declining just days after his highly publicized comeback.

Last month, Disney temporarily suspended ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the host made controversial remarks about Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel falsely suggested Robinson was affiliated with the “MAGA gang,” despite official reports and an indictment confirming the suspect held left-wing views.

Following public backlash and the pulling of Kimmel’s show from multiple stations by Nexstar and Sinclair, Disney benched the host. Though Kimmel reportedly refused to apologize, protests from liberal supporters erupted outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters and his studio on Hollywood Boulevard, demanding the show’s return.

Disney reinstated Jimmy Kimmel Live! less than a week later, and on September 23, the show drew a massive audience. However, by Thursday, October 2, viewership had sharply declined. That night, the show averaged just 1.9 million total viewers, a 71% drop from the comeback episode.

The drop was even more dramatic in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic. On October 2, only 265,000 viewers from this key group tuned in — a staggering 85% loss from the 1.7 million in the same demo on September 23. It marked Kimmel’s lowest demo performance since the suspension.

Before the controversy, Kimmel averaged around 1.6 million total viewers in 2025. At this rate, the show is on track to return to its pre-suspension numbers.

On the same night, Kimmel’s show was decisively outperformed by Fox News’ Gutfeld!, which drew 2.8 million total viewers — 49% more than Jimmy Kimmel Live! — and 370,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, beating Kimmel by 40%.

Kimmel’s original remarks, which many viewed as misleading and politically charged, sparked scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In one segment, he said:

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Despite the serious backlash and calls for accountability, Kimmel returned without issuing a full apology. Instead, he resumed his regular format, including nightly criticism of former President Donald Trump and other conservatives.

However, Kimmel’s response didn’t satisfy critics. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, which was founded by Charlie Kirk, stated:

“Kimmel is an unrepentant liar who tried to blame Charlie’s assassination on the part of the country that just spent the last two weeks praying and holding vigils.”