Kimmel’s Tuesday night monologue had 13.3 million views on YouTube and 5.6 million on Instagram, as of 1.30pm Eastern. Broadcast ratings for Tuesday’s show were not yet available.
ABC affiliates in several major markets did not carry the show, which aired hours after network parent Walt Disney lifted his suspension.
Pressure from Trump administration
Kimmel returned to the air six days after his remarks about the accused killer of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk provoked social media outrage and pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration.
The company’s decision to cut short Kimmel’s exile marked a high-profile act of corporate defiance in the face of Trump’s escalating crackdown on perceived enemies in the media through litigation and regulatory threats.
Disney was also under pressure from Kimmel’s fans, some of whom were canceling subscriptions to the company’s streaming services Disney+ and Hulu. Kimmel alluded to that in his monologue, joking that the company had asked him to read some remarks on the air.
“To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV-connected device,” he read.
Kimmel defended political satire against “bullying” from Trump and officials in his administration. Kimmel’s voice choked with emotion, moments after he took the stage to a standing ovation, and he said: “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
Last week, Kimmel said Trump’s supporters were eager to characterise Kirk’s assassin “as anything other than one of them” and accused them of trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s killing.
Before Tuesday’s broadcast, Trump said on his Truth Social online platform that he “can’t believe” ABC gave Kimmel back his show, and hinted at further action against the network.
Trump’s post called Kimmel “yet another arm” of the Democratic National Committee, and characterised the comedian’s jokes about the Republican administration as “a major illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.” Previously, Trump had said Kimmel was fired for “bad ratings.”
The late-night format has been struggling for years, as more viewers have abandoned cable television and migrated to streaming. Younger viewers, in particular, are more apt to find amusement on YouTube or TikTok, leaving smaller audiences and declining ad revenues for traditional TV.