Jimmy Kimmel Live had its biggest midterm election night ever. The show’s Tuesday, November 3 episode drew 2.4 million viewers on ABC, according to Nielsen, a 53% jump from its last midterm telecast on November 8, 2022, which reached 1.6 million.
Among adults 18 to 49, the episode scored a 0.32 rating, up 68% from 2022’s 0.19, Variety reports. Leaving out episodes that got a boost from NFL, NBA or NHL lead-ins, that is the show’s best demo rating in more than a year, going back to September 23, 2025, when Kimmel returned to the air after his suspension.
No. 1 In Late Night
The election night bump capped a strong week. Jimmy Kimmel Live averaged 2.5 million viewers and a 0.23 rating among adults 18 to 49 for the week, putting it at No. 1 in late night in both measures. It has held the top spot every week of the broadcast season so far, seven weeks in a row.
The season average to date is 2.5 million viewers, up 16% from 2.1 million at the same point last season. This is the fifth straight season the show has grown year over year by Week 7 of the broadcast calendar, and Season 25 is on pace to be Kimmel’s most-watched in 12 years, since the 2014-15 season.
That September 2025 episode is the benchmark. Kimmel was pulled off the air over comments he made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and his return on September 23, 2025 drew a huge amount of attention. Coming that close on a regular news night, without a sports lead-in, is a strong result for a show that premiered in January 2003.
A Strong Fall For Kimmel
The numbers continue a run that started with the fall premiere, when Jimmy Kimmel Live opened the season as the No. 1 late night show, and it has stayed there since.
For ABC, the growth matters. Season 25 is running 16% ahead of last year at the same point, and the midterm night gave the network its best non-sports late night demo number in more than a year.
How To Watch
Jimmy Kimmel Live airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on ABC, and episodes stream the next day on Hulu. Clips and monologues go up on the show’s YouTube channel each night.
The show heads into the holiday stretch as late night’s most-watched program.
For all the Disney news without the clickbait make sure to follow our accounts! Facebook | Twitter | Threads | Instagram | TikTok
