The past year has been an unprecedented one in the history of late-night television. From show cancellations to host suspensions, the genre made as many headlines as it skewered. Despite all the volatility, Jimmy Kimmel managed to have one of the best years in his late-night career.
Of course, the biggest story of the past year was the decision by Paramount and CBS to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It put an end to an iconic franchise and took a beloved host off the air at the height of his popularity.
The end of The Late Show even managed to overshadow the multiple controversies that hit Jimmy Kimmel Live! over the past year. Fans undoubtedly remember ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel for his comments about Charlie Kirk, leading to some broadcasters refusing to air his show.
Then came more negative attention when Kimmel mocked the age gap between President Donald Trump and Melania Trump. The comedian described the First Lady as having the look of an "expectant widow" just days before a gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Despite the controversies and a string of high-profile politicans calling for his job, Kimmel put up some of the best numbers in Jimmy Kimmel Live! history. Part of that came from Colbert signing off, but it appears as if plenty of people still want to hear what Kimmel has to say.
In June (the month after The Late Show ended), Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 3.15 million viewers. That number is the best monthly average in the 23-year history of the late-night show.
Overall, the ABC show posted a 34% jump in viewers over the past television year compared to the year prior. The show hadn't pulled in that many viewers since 2014-2015.
The numbers look even better on YouTube, where the show's official channel boasts over 22 million subscribers. Kimmel's monologues routinely went over one million views in just a day, capturing a coveted audience on social media. But at the end of the day, it's still a television show.
“It’s silly how people go wild about a podcast that’s No. 5, and the numbers still don’t even compare to a television show,” Kimmel said in an interview with Variety. “There’s still a lot of people watching late night television, and I include the other shows in that. And there are still a lot of people looking at our shows on YouTube the next day, and there’s a lot of people who are interested in what we have to say. They may just may not necessarily be watching it on their TV, but it seems like a little bit of people are coming back to their old friend television.”
With Colbert no longer a voice in late-night television (for now), more fans will turn to Kimmel along with Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and Jon Stewart. Attempts to silence Kimmel or get him fired have appeared to only raise his profile and get more eyes on his material. The numbers back that up as Kimmel ascends to late-night's most prominent figure.
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