'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Returns With 6.26M Total Viewers After Suspension

Jimmy Kimmel came back to late night this week with record-breaking numbers following his suspension from ABC.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” landed 6.26 million total viewers on Tuesday night’s broadcast, according to the network. The haul marks the show’s largest regularly scheduled audience in more than 10 years, dating back to March 12, 2015. Remember, that’s despite preemptions across nearly a quarter of U.S. households.

Among adults age 18-49, the late-night host scored a 0.87 rating — also its highest since 2015. Kimmel’s monologue further fueled the comeback, notching more than 26 million views across YouTube and social media.

The blockbuster ratings come a week after ABC benched Kimmel amid mounting pressure from the FCC over the host’s sharp political monologues … including comments he made about Charlie Kirk‘s murder.

As you know, during Tuesday’s show, Jimmy made a jab at President Donald Trump for wanting to see his fellow Americans crash and burn because he “can’t take a joke.”

He urged viewers … “We have to speak out against this bully. He’s not stopping. And it’s not just comedy. He’s gunning for our journalists, too. He’s suing them, he’s bullying them.”