Jimmy Kimmel Live! Returns to Sinclair and Nexstar ABC Channels After Blackout

After a long break, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! broadcast has finally resumed: Sinclair and Nexstar, the leading groups of stations, have decided to bring the show back to ABC’s O&O channels this Friday evening. This means Kimmel will again appear in major cities, including Washington, D.C., Nashville, and Seattle, as well as in many other markets across the country.

Such a move is seen as a significant victory for Kimmel and ABC, and as a signal of how national networks can influence local affiliate stations during on-air conflicts.

Our decision to halt the broadcast of this program was independent of any interaction or influence by the government.

Both companies, controlling almost a quarter of ABC’s stations, found themselves at the center of criticism over reports that they could benefit from political signals or regulatory indirect influence during the blackout, which had reached discussions at the executive and regional levels.

To be frank, our decision to pre-empt the air was autonomous, without any governmental interference or influence.

In subsequent statements, the companies emphasized that talks with ABC aimed to settle questions of network accountability and audience engagement, while not expressing support or pressure from political forces. Nevertheless, public remarks regarding political involvement and network accountability remained relevant in public discourse.

ABC’s warning was “insufficient” for Sinclair, and we do not expect to bring the show back until official discussions with ABC regarding the network’s professionalism and accountability take place.

Following these steps, Sinclair stated that Kimmel is expected to apologize to the Kirk family and make a charitable contribution to Turning Point USA, but the company did not say this would be a condition for lifting the blackout.

Although we were negotiating with ABC, the network did not accept our proposals to strengthen accountability, feedback from viewers, and building dialogue in communities, including with an independent ombudsperson across the network.

On Friday, Nexstar confirmed that it had also been in talks with Disney executives and expressed gratitude for a constructive approach to resolving the issues. For its part, Nexstar’s leaders noted that the agreements emphasize accountability to the public and could strengthen trust in the communities they serve.

In our view, these agreements emphasize accountability to the public and may strengthen trust and open dialogue in the communities we serve.

Nexstar stations, spanning cities from Syracuse to Salt Lake City, continue to restore the regular evening block of Kimmel’s broadcasts. The restoration affected numerous affiliated channels where viewers’ calls and messages had previously come in.

On Thursday evening, Kimmel, in a monologue, again touched on the warnings topic, maintaining his characteristic tone in response to increased viewer and media attention.

Although we are still being warned in 60 American cities, on Tuesday our show ranked second in ratings for nearly 23 years on air. Our Tuesday monologue has more than 21 million views on YouTube alone. And I want to say: we couldn’t do this without you, Mr. President. Thank you very much. We got the “Trump bump” and we appreciate it.