Nexstar lifts Jimmy Kimmel Live! blackout as Sinclair reinstates ABC airings
After a week-long standoff over remarks and editorial control, ABC affiliates resume airing the late-night program as broadcasters cite audience needs and safety concerns.
Nexstar Media Group said Friday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to its ABC affiliates tonight, ending a blackout that began last week and triggered a standoff with Disney. The announcement comes just hours after Sinclair Broadcast Group also agreed to reinstate the late-night program across its ABC stations, reversing a week-long refusal to air the show even after Disney lifted host Jimmy Kimmel’s four-day suspension.
Both broadcasters had pulled the plug on Kimmel following his controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer and President Trump’s supporters. Sinclair had demanded an on-air apology and a donation to Turning Point USA before relenting.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post that Disney made no editorial or content concessions to Sinclair. Sinclair, in a separate statement, said its objective throughout the process had been to ensure programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. The company, which owns about 40 ABC affiliates nationwide including in Washington, D.C., cited viewer and advertiser feedback, as well as “troubling acts of violence,” including a recent shooting at an ABC station in Sacramento, as reasons for reassessing its stance.
The episodes underscore a clash between late-night entertainment and politically tinged controversy that has roiled major networks in recent months. Disney had suspended Kimmel for four days over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer and Trump supporters; the suspension was lifted, but the standoff persisted until Nexstar and Sinclair reversed course. The rapid turn of events highlights how large broadcaster groups weigh audience reach, advertiser sentiment, and local safety concerns when deciding what a station can or cannot air.