Sinclair Broadcast Group Won’t Air Jimmy Kimmel Live! Return On ABC Affiliates

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is officially returning to ABC, but a major broadcaster still won’t be airing the show. Following controversial remarks that Kimmel made on his show related to the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, ABC made the shocking decision to take the series off the air “indefinitely.”

The abrupt Jimmy Kimmel Live! cancellation was met with backlash, with Disney+ and Hulu losing an extensive number of subscribers, many prominent public figures criticizing the decision, and Disney facing widespread boycotts and financial loss. After negotiations, an agreement was reached, and ABC announced that Kimmel’s show will resume on September 23.

Now, Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced they will still be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their ABC affiliate stations when the show returns and will air news programming instead. However, the broadcaster is still in discussions with ABC about potentially bringing the show back. Check out Sinclair’s statement below:

What This Means For Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Even though Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back, it will not be broadcast in many areas as long as Sinclair’s preemption remains in effect. Sinclair has ownership or control of 39 ABC-affiliated stations, including WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., a major area whose viewers will now be unable to see the show’s return on live television.

While Disney and ABC are seemingly attempting to make amends for their decision, Sinclair does not appear to be changing their stance about whether Kimmel should be on the air, regardless of the public backlash.

Nexstar, who has 32 ABC affiliates and who announced they were pulling the show before ABC made their own announcement, has not revealed whether it will air the series moving forward.

With discussions still happening between ABC and Sinclair, the broadcaster may change their mind in the near future and find the incentive needed to air the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host on their affiliated stations, but they have not been swayed yet and would rather air news programming instead.

Our Take On Sinclair’s Decision

Jimmy Kimmel in a promo for Who Wants to be a Millionaire

When ABC announced the reversal of their decision, it seemed like the situation had been fixed, but Sinclair’s refusal to air the show for now proves otherwise. In order to fully fix the situation, Kimmel’s show needs to be aired live on all ABC-affiliated stations, just as it was before the suspension occurred.

After Disney changed their minds in less than a week, I hope that Sinclair will quickly follow suit and realize they are only making the situation worse by still refusing to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! Unfortunately, the series will not have made its full return to live television until it is available to watch in all areas.