Rapper Kanye West’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wednesday night propelled the ABC late-night talker to its highest-rated 11:35 p.m. telecast outside of its post-NBA Finals episodes in June.
According to Nielsen, “JKL” scored a 1.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic preferred by advertisers in the 25 Local People Meter markets, beating out NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” which earned a 0.7 rating and CBS’ “The Late Show with David Letterman,” which drew a 0.5 rating.
During his appearance, West publicly ended his feud with Kimmel that began after “JKL” aired a sketch spoofing an interview West gave to BBC Radio 1, prompting West to go on a Twitter rant on Sept. 26 demanding a public apology from Kimmel. In the interview Wednesday, both men discussed the pressure of celebrity, comparing the media scrutiny to being a “zoo animal.”