Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was bleeding viewers before Disney-owned ABC pulled the plug and suspended him for his comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Nielsen data showed sharp summer declines and a year-long slide that leaves him trailing late-night rivals such as Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and CBS star Stephen Colbert.
According to monthly Nielsen figures, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” dropped to just 1.1 million total viewers in August 2025, down 43% from January’s 1.95 million. His August household rating of 0.35 marked the weakest showing of the year.
The advertiser-coveted 18–49 demo also cratered. Kimmel averaged only 129,000 viewers in that bracket in August, off from 212,000 in January and less than half his June peak of 284,000.
With his ABC contract set to expire next year, the slump raises questions about whether “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” can regain momentum against Colbert, Fallon and cable insurgents.
Here’s the latest on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension after Charlie Kirk comments
Kimmel’s deal with ABC runs through May 2026, under a three-year extension signed in September 2022.
Industry reports put his salary at $15 million to $16 million a year, with some outlets noting that bonuses can push his annual earnings above $20 million.
Despite ABC’s indefinite suspension of the show, the network has not announced any change to his contractual pay.
The Post has sought comment from Kimmel and ABC.
This year’s erosion in viewership follows a bumpy 2024. Annual Nielsen ratings compiled by industry site LateNighter show Kimmel averaged 1.77 million total viewers last year, down 2.3% from 2023. In the demo, he shed more than 12%, pulling 221,000 nightly viewers on average.
By comparison, CBS’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” held the top broadcast spot with 2.57 million viewers and 281,000 in the demo, despite also losing ground year-over-year.
NBC’s “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” lagged behind with 1.37 million total viewers, but it narrowly trailed Kimmel in the demo with 220,000.
Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” remained cable’s late night ratings juggernaut in 2024, averaging 2.76 million viewers — though the program airs at 10 p.m. when more viewers are awake.
Fox News shares common ownership with The Post.
Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” powered by Jon Stewart’s Monday night return, posted the biggest growth, surging 84% among total viewers and 53% in the demo.
Within broadcast, Kimmel’s position has weakened in 2025.
After a relatively steady winter and spring, he has logged consecutive declines since June. His July average fell to 1.23 million viewers before dipping below 1.2 million in August, according to Nielsen.
Quarterly numbers confirm the trend: Kimmel averaged 1.82 million viewers in Q1 2025, then slipped to 1.77 million in Q2. The August low signals a deeper summer swoon — though summer viewership is traditionally lower as most shows air re-runs.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
