Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group announced Friday that they are ending their preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their ABC affiliate stations. The late night show will return to all ABC stations Friday night.
The decision comes three days after Kimmel’s return to air on ABC, following a nearly week-long suspension by ABC and Disney. The suspension was a result of Republican criticism over Kimmel’s comments about far-right commentator Charlie Kirk’s killer, which prompted Sinclair and Nexstar to preempt his show on their ABC affiliates. Kimmel addressed the comments in his return monologue.
Disney reversed its decision following backlash over Kimmel’s suspension, including calls to boycott streaming services Disney+ and Hulu. However, when Kimmel returned to air on Sept. 23, Sinclair and Nexstar were still preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, meaning that ABC affiliates they own — which make up over 25 percent of the nation’s ABC affiliates, according to Reuters — would not be showing the broadcast.
Now, following Sinclair and Nexstar’s announcements, all these ABC affiliate stations will be showing Jimmy Kimmel Live! again.
Sinclair was the first of the two companies to announce Kimmel’s return. In a statement released on Friday about their decision, Sinclair said, “Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives. We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important.”
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Sinclair’s statement went on to address the company’s discussions with ABC, saying that it had “proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.”
The statement also touched on criticisms of Kimmel’s preemption constituting a politically motivated violation of free speech. According to Sinclair, “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”
Hours later, Nexstar announced that it had also reversed its preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar said in a statement. “As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve. We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment — and obligation — to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities. To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals.”
UPDATE: Sep. 26, 2025, 5:18 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect Nexstar’s announcement about the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
