Jimmy Kimmel’s Ratings Surge Undercuts Trump’s Claims as Late Night TV Continues to Struggle

Despite repeated claims from Donald Trump that Jimmy Kimmel’s audience has “disappeared,” new data tells a very different story.

According to fresh Nielsen figures, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was the only network late-night talk show to grow its audience in 2025. The ABC program ended the year with a 14% increase in total viewers compared to 2024, along with a 4% rise in the key 18–49 demographic that advertisers prize most.

The gains are especially notable given the turbulent year Kimmel experienced. Last September, ABC briefly suspended the host following on-air remarks criticizing MAGA reactions to the death of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk. At the time, the network described the suspension as “indefinite,” but reversed course just six days later after widespread backlash, streaming boycotts, and pressure from fans, celebrities, and lawmakers.

Kimmel’s return quickly became a ratings event. His first monologue back drew 6.3 million live viewers, making it the show’s most-watched live episode in more than a decade. The clip’s online performance was even more striking, becoming his most-viewed monologue ever with 23 million views. While Kimmel clarified his earlier comments, he continued his sharp criticism of Trump and the MAGA movement, earning praise from supporters who applauded him for not “bending the knee.”

That momentum carried through the rest of the year. Even though Jimmy Kimmel Live! was preempted in several cities for days after his reinstatement, it still managed to grow its overall audience—an achievement no other network late-night show matched in 2025.

Ironically, the ratings success did not shield Kimmel from budget tightening. ABC recently cut back on music performances, reducing them from nightly appearances to just two per week.

The strong year-end numbers are unlikely to sit well with Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Kimmel’s talent and viewership. In March 2024, Trump said Kimmel’s ratings were “terrible” and dismissed him as “not a talented guy.” After Kimmel’s suspension, Trump escalated his rhetoric on Truth Social, calling the host “ZERO talent” and claiming his ratings were worse than those of Stephen Colbert.

Trump made those comments as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was being phased out by CBS, a move some critics viewed as politically motivated amid Paramount’s merger with Skydance, which required FCC approval. Trump also publicly suggested that Kimmel would be “next,” while calling for the firings of Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

While Kimmel was the rare late-night success story, the broader genre continued to decline. Fallon’s Tonight Show, Meyers’ Late Night, and Colbert’s Late Show all lost viewers in 2025, continuing a decade-long downward trend for late-night television.

Colbert still finished the year as network TV’s late-night leader, averaging 2.55 million viewers, compared to Kimmel’s 2.01 million. Fallon trailed well behind with 1.32 million viewers.

Trump, meanwhile, has faced ratings struggles of his own. He recently hosted the least-watched Kennedy Center Honors broadcast on record. The Center’s new vice president of public relations defended the numbers, arguing that comparing this year’s broadcast to past editions amounted to “apples-to-oranges” and reflected “far-left bias.”

For now, the numbers are clear: while late night as a whole continues to shrink, Jimmy Kimmel is moving in the opposite direction—no matter how often Trump says otherwise.