First on LateNighter: Jimmy Kimmel’s return episode was an even bigger ratings bonanza than we knew.
According to Nielsen Live+3 day ratings, Kimmel’s September 23 broadcast drew a total of 8.6 million viewers to ABC—a 2 million jump over the initial same-day tally.
The updated total marks a career milestone for Kimmel, with his much-talked-about return from suspension now officially the highest-rated episode in the history of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
In the coveted adults 18–49 demo, the episode rose to 1.5 million viewers, translating into a 27% share. Overall, the broadcast commanded a 32% share of the total audience, a number not seen in late night in more than 30 years, dating back to Johnny Carson’s final episodes of The Tonight Show.
The good news for Kimmel didn’t end there. He continued to dominate the 11:35 time period throughout the rest of the week—albeit not nearly by the same margin. All told, Kimmel’s average across three first-run episodes for the week of September 22 was 4.89 million viewers, more than double his average a week earlier. In the demo, he averaged 752,000, also up sharply.
In other weekly ratings news:
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert slipped slightly, averaging 2.66 million viewers (down about 8%) and 244,000 in the demo (up nominally). Meanwhile, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon continued to trail with 1.27 million viewers and 148,000 in the demo, both down versus the previous week, with a steeper drop among younger viewers.
On cable, Gutfeld! held the late-night crown at 10 p.m. with 3.25 million viewers, though it declined modestly from last week. The Daily Show had a softer week, drawing 783,000 viewers and 164,000 in the demo, among its lowest post-hiatus averages.
At 12:30, Nightline surged to 1.19 million viewers and 177,000 in the demo, reflecting strong lead-in momentum from Kimmel. Late Night with Seth Meyers saw a more modest gain, climbing to 1.04 million viewers with 108,000 in the demo.
Complete ratings charts for the week of September 22, 2025 follow below.
Note: Time period listed is most common airtime for show.
Live+ 3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)
| Avg Share (%) | Avg Viewers (000’s) | Vs Last Wk | |
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 5 first-run episodes | 7.09 | 3,251 | -7.63% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes | 0.45 | 218 | -14.07% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes | 2.32 | 783 | -24.88% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 3 first-run episodes, | 18.73 | 4,890 | +150.66% |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episodes | 10.35 | 2,655 | -8.19% |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 3 first-run episodes | 4.96 | 1,270 | -4.07 |
| 12:37 PM | |||
| Nightline (ABC) * 5 first-run episodes | 6.59 | 1,185 | +64.43 |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 4 first-run episodes | 6.25 | 1.043 | +11.40% |
Live+ 3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)
| Avg Share (%) | Avg Viewers (000’s) | Vs Last Wk | |
| 10:00 PM | |||
| Gutfeld! (FNC)† 5 first-run episodes | 2.43 | 224 | -15.80% |
| Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)* 4 first-run episodes | 0.68 | 63 | -5.03% |
| 11:00 PM | |||
| The Daily Show (COM)* 4 first-run episodes | 2.44 | 164 | -33.54% |
| 11:35 PM | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) 3 first-run episodes, | 14.06 | 752 | +215.16 |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4 first-run episodes | 4.71 | 244 | +11.53 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) 3 first-run episodes | 2.89 | 148 | -35.06% |
| 12:37 PM | |||
| Nightline (ABC) * 5 first-run episodes | 4.82 | 177 | +102.29% |
| Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) 4 first-run episodes | 3.19 | 108 | 1.89% |
Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
suspect Jimmy and ABC come to a deal to extend him, beyond Trump’s term
Soooo… how are those amazing ratings looking now (you know… one week after this deceptive article was released)? It ceases to amaze me how liberals will candy coat truths to present a totally false narrative. Are we all celebrating the 85% reduction in JK’s ratings between 9/23 and 10/10? Oops… I guess that needs to be swept under the liberal rug along with Kamala Harris oh so tight race.