Jimmy Kimmel nabs highest ratings in over a decade with post-suspension episode

Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night television after a brief suspension drew 6.26 million total viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings, making it 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.

Disney, which owns ABC, highlighted that the latest episode 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.