Many analysts have been speculating that Jimmy Kimmel was next on the chopping block. During the second quarter, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 1.77 million total viewers. That’s down quite a bit from 2015, when Colbert joined the late-night lineup and Nielsen says Kimmel averaged 2.4 million total viewers. averaged 2.3 million total viewers - A staggering 64% drop from the 6.5 million who tuned in for the much-hyped return.