Jerry Springer Bringing in Massive Pluto TV Viewership After His Death

Jerry Springer’s iconic daytime series is bringing in massive Pluto TV viewership numbers, following the late host’s death. TMZ reports that reps from the streaming service revealed that watchers of their Nosey channel, where the show streams, doubled in the days after Springer’s death. Pluto TV reportedly found usage among regular users jumped by 33% percent. (You can also watch Jerry Springer episodes on-demand via Pluto.)

Springer became a household name in the 1990s, thanks to his daytime talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, which ran for nearly three decades. Prior to his career in television, Springer was a lawyer. He also served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1977 to 1978, after having been a Cincinnati city councilman. Springer passed away in late April, at the age of 79. His longtime friend, and spokesperson, Jean Galvin announced the sad news on behalf of Springer’s family, revealing that Springer’s death was related to pancreatic cancer. It had not been previously reported that Springer was battling the illness.

“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Galvin said in a statement announcing Springer’s death. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.” Additionally, Springer’s longtime friend and religious leader, Rabbi Sandford Kopnick — of The Valley Temple in Cincinnati — told PEOPLE, “He hasn’t been sick for a long time. He died of cancer, and he didn’t have cancer for very long.”

Springer was later laid to rest in a private funeral service, but there will also be a public memorial, which is currently being organized. While there are not too many specific details available at the moment, sources close to the situation reportedly told TMZ that the big event is scheduled to take place on May 16 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The public memorial will be a free event, and organizers are currently working on how best to hold it. The venue currently being considered is said to hold around 500 people. 

Additionally, the public memorial may be live-streamed, so those who cannot attend in person might have a chance to still participate. Some of Springer’s celebrity friends are expected to join the event, but no names have been shared at this time. However, the sources made it clear to TMZ that the focus of the memorial will be for Springer’s fans to pay their respects to the late TV icon.