Kimmel Returns, YouTube Spikes

The return of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to see spiking viewership via Nielsen -- well above his recent measurement of 1.8 million average viewers, according to analysts.

Early results on YouTube show nearly 10.5 million views on the streaming video platform for his returning Tuesday night show -- already near his best results ever.

During the monologue, Kimmel played a clip from President Trump, who commented that Kimmel "had no talent" and was fired because he had "no ratings."

“Well,” said Kimmel, in response to that clip. “I do tonight!” He then received a standing ovation from his studio audience.

“You almost have to feel sorrow for him,” Kimmel continued, in reference to Trump. “He did his best to try to cancel me. And he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now.”

advertisement

advertisement

Potentially impacting those Nielsen-measured viewing numbers, two major TV station groups Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Inc. said they would pre-empt the show indefinitely.

Those two groups have around 70 ABC affiliated TV stations of ABC Television Network’s more then 260 U.S. TV stations' affiliates.

Last night’s show aired 17 TV advertisements, according to EDO Ad EnGage, including movie studio films in theaters or not-yet-debuted Paramount Pictures’s “The Running Man” and “Roofman,” Sony Pictures’s “Eleanor The Great,” and Warner Bros.' “One Battle After Another.”

Other brands include Amazon Prime Video (“Thursday Night Football”; Apple (iPhone 17), Progressive Insurance, Wegovy, LeafFilter; Nissan, Consumer Cellular, and Shopify, among others.

Next story loading loading..