The much-anticipated episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following the comedian's return from his suspension drew a broadcast audience about four times larger than average, according to Nielsen ratings data. This was despite the late-night show being preempted by about a quarter of all ABC affiliate TV stations in the U.S.

Tuesday's show drew an estimated 6.26 million total broadcast viewers, Disney said in a news release Wednesday, per numbers compiled by Nielsen, an audience measurement firm. The data does not include those who watched the episode on streaming platforms.

For comparison, according to numbers provided to CBS News by a Disney spokesperson, Kimmel's show averaged 1.42 million broadcast viewers during its 2024-25 season, less than a quarter of what it saw on Tuesday night.

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