Sinclair ABC stations announced on Monday that they will not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” when the show returns to ABC on Tuesday. Instead, Sinclair said it will replace the show with news programming.
Sinclair ABC Stations Preempt Kimmel’s Return
The network made the announcement on X, saying, “Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming.”
Sinclair, which owns the largest number of ABC affiliate stations in the U.S., also stated that discussions with ABC are still ongoing. The network said it is evaluating the potential return of the late-night talk show.
Kimmel’s show was pulled last week after he made controversial comments about Charlie Kirk. Kirk was a conservative activist who was recently killed. Sinclair asked Kimmel to apologize directly to the Kirk family. They also wanted him to make a donation to Turning Point USA, the nonprofit Kirk co-founded.
Disney Brings Kimmel Back Despite Controversy
Despite Sinclair’s move, Disney announced that Kimmel will return to the show starting Tuesday. Sources told The Post that Kimmel, who earns $15 million per year, negotiated his return with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden.
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Kimmel is expected to address his comments during his first monologue back on air. However, he will not apologize for calling Kirk’s alleged killer part of the “MAGA gang,” sources said. Disney said it suspended Kimmel last week to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for the country. Disney called some of his remarks “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
Sinclair’s Vice Chairman Jason Smith had previously called Kimmel’s remarks “inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country.”
Impact on ABC Affiliates and Viewers
Sinclair ABC stations have a large influence on what viewers see. Together with Nexstar, which also owns ABC affiliates, the two companies cover about a quarter of ABC’s reach to households. Sinclair’s WJLA-TV in Washington DC is one of the network’s most influential flagship stations.
It is still unclear if Nexstar will follow Sinclair’s lead and preempt Kimmel’s show on its ABC stations. Sinclair’s decision shows the power of local affiliates in deciding what content reaches viewers, even when a show is approved to return by the network itself.
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By preempting Kimmel’s return, Sinclair ABC stations are sending a strong message about their stance on controversial comments made by television hosts. Viewers in Sinclair’s broadcast areas will instead see local or national news programming during Kimmel’s usual late-night slot.
This move underscores the ongoing tension between network decisions and local affiliate choices. It also highlights the influence that major broadcast groups like Sinclair hold over what millions of Americans watch every night.
