Contrary to earlier concerns about dwindling audience numbers, Jimmy Kimmel’s recent return monologue has become his most-watched segment on YouTube to date.
This nearly half-hour address, where Kimmel openly discussed his suspension by Disney-prompted by pressure from the Trump administration-and clarified his comments regarding the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, passionately championed free speech. It amassed over 15 million views within just 16 hours of release.
While various sketches, interviews, and shorter clips from Jimmy Kimmel Live! have previously garnered tens of millions of views, Tuesday’s monologue set a new benchmark for the comedian’s solo segments.
Kimmel’s earlier highest-viewed monologue was an emotional 2017 episode where he shared the story of his son Billy’s birth and urgent heart surgery. Other notable monologues with significant viewership include his take on Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap (13 million views), his response to the 2017 Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest festival shooting (10 million views), and his commentary on Trump’s re-election last November (9 million views).
The surge in views followed Disney’s controversial decision to suspend Kimmel’s show after the Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair pressured the network over Kimmel’s remarks about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s shooting. This move ignited a nationwide debate on free speech and drew widespread criticism of the Trump administration’s intimidation tactics. After extensive discussions with Kimmel and mounting pressure from Hollywood figures, free speech advocates, consumer boycotts, union protests, and even Republican voices like Senator Ted Cruz, Disney reversed its suspension on Monday.
Despite the show’s return, it remains off-air on numerous ABC affiliate stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar, companies currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger. Typically, Jimmy Kimmel Live! attracts around 1.6 million viewers per night on broadcast TV, but experts cited by the New York Times anticipate a significant spike in viewership for Tuesday’s episode, even though Nexstar and Sinclair’s blackouts have cut about 20% of the broadcast audience.
Just before the episode aired, former President Donald Trump criticized Kimmel and ABC, expressing disbelief that the network reinstated the host. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his show was cancelled! Something changed because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.”
He added, “We’re going to test ABC on this. Last time I went after them, they paid me $16 million. This time might be even more profitable,” alluding to a previous defamation settlement with ABC News.
In his comeback monologue, Kimmel struck a balanced tone-neither overly confrontational nor conciliatory. He condemned his suspension as “anti-American,” emphasizing that while the show itself isn’t vital, the freedom to produce such a program is what truly matters. He clarified his earlier comments about Kirk’s death, stating, “I never intended to make light of the murder of a young man. There’s nothing humorous about that.”
He further explained, “I did not mean to assign blame to any particular group for the actions of a deeply troubled individual. That was the opposite of my point. I understand why some found my remarks ill-timed or unclear, and for those who felt I was pointing fingers, I get your frustration. If the roles were reversed, I might feel the same.”
Kimmel also commended Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, for publicly forgiving the accused shooter during a televised memorial service over the weekend.
Reflecting on the situation, Kimmel admitted, “I never imagined facing something like this. I wasn’t the best student, but I learned from icons like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Howard Stern that when a government tries to silence a comedian disliked by the president, it’s fundamentally un-American. It’s time we stop letting politicians dictate what we can say and start telling them what we expect.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is scheduled to air as usual on Wednesday night, except on the 28 ABC affiliates owned by Nexstar and the 38 owned by Sinclair. Nexstar told Variety that it is “actively reviewing the status of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on our ABC-affiliated stations, and the show will remain preempted during this evaluation. We are engaged in constructive talks with The Walt Disney Company, aiming to ensure the program respects the diverse values of the communities we serve.”
