The midterm election did more than reshape the political map — it handed Jimmy Kimmel Live its strongest election-night audience ever.
Tuesday’s episode drew 2.4 million viewers on ABC, according to Nielsen. That is a 53% jump from the show’s 2022 midterm telecast, which reached 1.6 million viewers, and it makes this the biggest midterm election telecast in the show’s history.
The demo line is the more important number
For entertainment marketers and media planners, the adults 18-49 rating matters more than the total-viewer line because it is the primary currency for national video advertising. Kimmel’s Tuesday episode scored a 0.32 in the 18-49 demo, up 68% from a 0.19 rating on the comparable 2022 night.
Excluding episodes that benefited from NFL, NBA or NHL lead-ins, that’s the show’s highest rating in more than a year — since the September 23, 2025 episode in which Kimmel returned to air after his suspension over comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The real story: consistency, not one election night
One strong political night can be a blip. What makes this number more useful is the trend around it.
- Kimmel averaged 2.5 million viewers and a 0.23 18-49 rating for the week, placing No. 1 in both metrics against late-night competitors.
- The show has held that No. 1 position for all seven weeks of the broadcast season so far.
- Season average to date is 2.5 million viewers, up 16% from the 2.1 million it averaged at the same point last season.
- This is the fifth consecutive season with year-over-year growth by Week 7.
What to do with the data
Media buyers should treat election-week late-night as an attention spike rather than a new baseline. A 0.32 demo rating on a midterm night demonstrates that a late-night show can still pull younger adults against heavy news coverage, but annual commitments should be judged on the season-long trend and non-sports lead-in performance. On that score, the show is delivering: Season 25 is on track to become Kimmel’s most-watched season in 12 years, going back to the 2014-15 season.
Source: Variety
