Jimmy, You're Fired!

According to the latest Nielsen data from mid-2025, Jimmy Kimmel ranked second in total viewership at 11:35 p.m., trailing Stephen Colbert, but led in the key 18–49 demographic. However, Kimmel was experiencing a significant decline in ratings before his indefinite suspension in September 2025.

**Ratings Snapshot: Q2 2025**
In the second quarter of 2025, Kimmel averaged 1.77 million total viewers, compared to Colbert's 2.42 million viewers. In the 18–49 demographic, which is particularly valuable to advertisers, Kimmel led his time slot with 220,000 viewers, narrowly surpassing Colbert's 219,000.

Additionally, "Gutfeld!", which airs on Fox News an hour earlier, averaged a higher viewership than "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2025, with 3.2 million total viewers.

**Ratings Decline in 2025**
After a strong start to the year, Kimmel's ratings began to decline significantly during the summer. From January to August 2025, his average total viewership dropped by approximately 43%, from 1.95 million to just 1.1 million. In the 18–49 demographic, his viewership plummeted to just 129,000 in August, less than half of his peak of 284,000 in June.

By September 2025, before his suspension, Kimmel's show had fallen to third place in total viewership for the 11:35 p.m. time slot, behind both Colbert and Jimmy Fallon.

**Suspension and Context**
Kimmel was suspended indefinitely by ABC in September 2025 following controversial remarks he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Multiple media reports and commentators noted Kimmel's declining ratings in the weeks leading up to and following the suspension, suggesting that financial concerns may have influenced ABC's decision.