Jimmy Kimmel’s return sets YouTube record with most-watched monologue

Jimmy Kimmel’s return monologue after his suspension hit 14 million views in 15 hours, a YouTube record for his show.

Jimmy Kimmel’s return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! has broken records, with his latest opening monologue becoming the most-watched in the show’s history on YouTube.

The host came back to ABC on Tuesday night following a suspension that stemmed from controversial remarks about political commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel opened the show with an emotional 30-minute segment in which he thanked viewers for their support, addressed the controversy, and strongly defended free speech.

Within just 15 hours of being uploaded, the video surpassed 14 million views on the show’s official YouTube channel, averaging roughly one million views per hour. The performance has already outpaced his previous viral monologues, including his 2017 remarks on his son’s heart condition (14 million views) and his reaction to the Will Smith Oscars incident (13 million views). Other widely viewed moments, such as his commentary on the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting (10 million) and Donald Trump’s election (9 million), now rank lower than Tuesday’s record-breaking speech.

On broadcast television, Jimmy Kimmel Live! typically draws about 1.6 million viewers. Despite boycotts from affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair, which cover about 20 percent of ABC’s stations, network insiders expect ratings to exceed typical averages due to heightened interest in Kimmel’s return.

Kimmel’s monologue was noted for its balance of sincerity and defiance. While he did not apologize for his earlier remarks about Kirk, he expressed condolences to Erika Kirk and thanked conservatives who supported his right to speak freely. He also emphasized that government efforts to silence comedians are “anti-American,” citing the legacies of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Howard Stern.

The strong response to his return underscores Kimmel’s cultural influence and the growing impact of late-night television clips on digital platforms like YouTube.