Jimmy Kimmel’s big return to late-night TV has already fizzled.
Disney briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the host falsely tied Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin to the “MAGA gang.” When the show came back last Tuesday, it drew 6.5 million viewers. By Thursday, that number crashed to 2.3 million — a staggering 64% drop.
The collapse was even sharper in key demographics. Among adults 25–54, Kimmel lost 73% of viewers in just two nights, falling from 1.7 million to 465,000. The 18–49 audience also shrank 73%, tumbling from 1.2 million to 334,000.
The controversy began when Kimmel told his audience that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged in Kirk’s assassination, was part of the MAGA crowd. But court documents later confirmed Robinson held left-wing views. The FCC opened scrutiny, and Disney pulled the show after Nexstar and Sinclair stations dropped it.
Kimmel refused to apologize, returning with a fiery monologue but not a full retraction. Nexstar and Sinclair only began airing the program again days later.
The episode underscores a longer slide. In 2015, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 2.4 million viewers a night. By 2021, the show was down to 1.5 million, and its 2025 average of 1.6 million was still 37% lower than a decade earlier.
Kirk’s supporters blasted Kimmel’s stance. “Kimmel is an unrepentant liar who tried to blame Charlie’s assassination on the part of the country that just spent the last 2 weeks praying and holding vigils,” said Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet.