Jimmy Kimmel’s broadcast return scored big in the ratings.
Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 6.2 million viewers, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen. That is nearly four times bigger than his usual audience, even though more than 20 percent of ABC affiliates boycotted the show.
The preliminary Nielsen figures are expected to grow in the coming days as more data comes in. It does not include streaming viewership.
The show was Mr. Kimmel’s first since executives at ABC and Disney — the network’s parent company — decided to pull his show on Sept. 17. They made the move after growing criticism, including by a top federal regulator, over comments he made during his show about the man accused of fatally shooting the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show’s suspension set off a national debate about free speech.
Mr. Kimmel dedicated much of his Tuesday night monologue to that very topic. “This show is not important,” he said. “What’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
Nexstar and Sinclair, two large television groups, said before the show that would pre-empt the episode across the affiliates they owned, after “strongly” objecting to Mr. Kimmel’s comments. On Wednesday, shortly before the Nielsen ratings were released, Nexstar said it would continue to pre-empt the show but that it was “engaged in productive discussions” with Disney.
To score 6.2 million viewers on a late-night show in 2025, without an N.F.L. playoff game providing a lead-in boost, is highly unusual. To do it without a few dozen local affiliates airing the show is even more eye-opening. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 1.6 million viewers in the 2024-2025 September-to-May television season, according to Nielsen.
Mr. Kimmel’s return also scored big online. The YouTube video of his monologue has already drawn more than 15 million views.
The return was one of the most-anticipated late-night show episodes in a long time. Mr. Kimmel was at turns emotional, defiant and comedic in his monologue. He praised some Republican officials who expressed misgivings about Mr. Carr’s comments, but he also offered harsh criticism of the Trump administration as well. “A government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American,” he said.
The show’s return also stoked interest from President Trump. “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” he posted on social media an hour before the broadcast. Mr. Trump suggested that he might sue ABC over Mr. Kimmel’s reinstatement, before adding: “A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
On Tuesday’s show, Mr. Kimmel played a clip of Mr. Trump aboard Air Force One gloating about Mr. Kimmel being taken off the air. “He had no ratings,” the president said.
“Well,” Mr. Kimmel said after the clip, “I do tonight.”