Jimmy Kimmel Makes a Triumphant Return
▼ Summary
– Jimmy Kimmel’s show returned with record viewership on YouTube after FCC censorship attempts, with his monologue reaching over 19 million views.
– The FCC’s actions unintentionally amplified Kimmel’s platform despite the agency’s stated goal of protecting free speech.
– Many viewers turned to YouTube because Nexstar and Sinclair blocked the show from being broadcast on about 25% of ABC stations.
– Preliminary Nielsen figures reported by The New York Times show the episode averaged 6.2 million viewers, nearly four times his usual audience.
– Approximately 20 percent of ABC affiliates have boycotted the show by bending the knee to the censorship pressure.
The FCC’s attempt to silence Jimmy Kimmel appears to have spectacularly backfired, with the host’s return to television shattering viewership records on YouTube. Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! featured his most-watched monologue ever on the platform, a 28-minute address on the censorship issue that has already amassed over 19 million views. This surge in online engagement directly coincides with the show being blocked from broadcast on approximately a quarter of ABC stations by major providers like Nexstar and Sinclair.
Many viewers who lost access to the program on traditional television have clearly migrated to YouTube, creating an unexpected digital audience boom. Even conventional Nielsen ratings, which notably exclude streaming numbers, reported that Tuesday’s broadcast attracted an average of 6.2 million viewers. This figure is nearly four times larger than Kimmel’s typical audience, and these preliminary numbers are anticipated to climb in subsequent reports.
In a twist of fate, the very entities positioning themselves as guardians of free expression have inadvertently magnified Kimmel’s voice. Despite a boycott by roughly 20 percent of ABC affiliates, the controversy has generated unprecedented public interest, turning an act of suppression into a major promotional event.
(Source: The Verge)
