Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night television after a brief suspension drew 6.26 million total viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings, marking the show’s highest-performing regularly scheduled episode in over a decade.

The robust ratings are remarkable partly because a typical episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" attracts roughly 1.6 million viewers.

Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10. WATCH HERE

Disney, which owns the ABC broadcast network, highlighted that the latest episode of the show did not air in 23% of American households. That’s because Nexstar and Sinclair, two major owners of ABC broadcast affiliates, continue to refuse to run the show following Kimmel’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

T

See Full Page