‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Update: Sinclair & Nexstar Retreat From Preemptions

UPDATE (9/26/25 5:10 p.m. ET): After three days of preemption, Sinclair and Nexstar have withdrawn their blockades of Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes and will resume airing the late-night show effective immediately.

Sinclair was the first to announce its decision. In a statement, Sinclair cited audience feedback as a partial reason for the change of stance.

“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming,” the company 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,” the statement continued.

Sinclair added that they submitted several proposals to ABC and Disney that have not been adopted and claimed the decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! was “independent of any government interaction or influence.”

The company previously shared its demands for both ABC and Jimmy Kimmel. In a September 17 statement, an executive of the company said, “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country. We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today, and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.” The company added, “Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability. Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA. Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”

Nexstar, which was reportedly still evaluating whether to cease its preemptions, soon after made its own announcement. In a statement, the company announced, “We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns.  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.”

ORIGINAL STORY (9/23/25 at 3:05 p.m. ET): Jimmy Kimmel may be returning to late-night after his ABC suspension was lifted, but whether viewers can watch him will depend on their local station. ABC affiliates owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Netstar still plan to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the host returns on Tuesday.

Sinclair, which owns the largest number of ABC affiliates among station groups, issued the following statement: “Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”

Meanwhile, Nexstar’s statement said: “We made a decision last week to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” Nexstar said in a statement. “In the meantime, we note that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets.”

So is your network going to be affected? Here’s a look at the list of networks that are owned or operated by each of these affiliate partners (sorted by city name), and will thus be preempted on Tuesday night’s return of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Abilene-Sweewater, TX (KTXS) – Sinclair
Albany, NY (WTEN) – Nexstar
Amarillo, TX (KVII, KVIH) – Sinclair
Augusta, GA (WJBF) – Nexstar
Billings, MT (KSVI) – Nexstar
Binghamton, NY (WIVT/WBGH-CD) – Nexstar
Birmingham, AL (WBMA, WDBB) – Sinclair
Burlington, VT (WVNY) – Nexstar
Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL (WICD, WICS) – Sinclair
Charleston-Huntington, WV (WCHS) – Sinclair
Charleston, SC (WCIV) – Sinclair
Chattanooga, TN (WTVC) – Sinclair
Clarksburg/Weston, WV (WBOY) – Nexstar
Columbus, OH (WSYX) – Sinclair
Dayton, OH (WKEF) – Sinclair
Dothan, AL (WDHN) – Nexstar
Erie, PA (WJET) – Nexstar
Eureka, CA (KAEF) – Sinclair
Evansville, IN (WEHT) – Nexstar
Florence-Myrtle Beach, SC (WPDE) – Sinclair
Grand Rapids, MI (WOTV) – Nexstar
Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, NC (WXLV) – Sinclair
Greenville-N. Bern-Washington, NC (WCTI) – Sinclair
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC / Asheville, NC / Anderson, SC (WLOS) – Sinclair
Harrisburg, PA (WHTM) – Nexstar
Hartford/New Haven, CT (WTNH) – Nexstar
Knoxville, TN (WATE) – Nexstar
Lansing, MI (WLAJ) – Nexstar
Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, NE (KHGI, KHGI-CD, KWNB, KWNB-LD) – Sinclair
Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR (KATV) – Sinclair
Lubbock, TX (KAMC) – Nexstar
Macon, GA (WGXA) – Sinclair
Midland/Odessa, TX (KMID) – Nexstar
Mobile, AL / Pensacola, FL (WEAR) – Sinclair
Nashville, TN (WKRN) – Nexstar
New Orleans, LA (WGNO) – Nexstar
Ottomwa, IA / Kirksville, MO (KTVO) – Sinclair
Panama City, FL (WMBB) – Nexstar
Portland, OR (KATU) – Sinclair
Quincy, IL / Hannibal, MO / Keokuk, IA (KHQA) – Sinclair
Richmond, VA (WRIC) – Nexstar
Roanoke – Lynchburg, VA (WSET) – Sinclair
Rochester, NY (WHAM) – Sinclair
Rockford, IL (WTVO) – Nexstar
San Angelo, TX (KTXE-LD) – Sinclair
Salt Lake City, UT (KTVX) – Nexstar
Seattle-Tacoma, WA (KOMO) – Sinclair
Sioux City, IA (KCAU) – Nexstar
St. Louis, MO (KDNL)
Syracuse, NY (WSYR) – Nexstar
Terre Haute, IN (WAWV) – Nexstar
Topeka, KS (KTKA) – Nexstar
Traverse City-Cadillac, MI (WGTQ, WGTU, WPBN, WTOM) – Sinclair
Tri-Cities, TN-VA (WJHL) – Nexstar
Tulsa, OK (KTUL)
Utica, NY (WUTR) – Nexstar
Washington, D.C. (WJLA) – Sinclair
Watertown, NY (WWTI) – Nexstar
Wheeling WV-Steubenville, OH (WTRF) – Nexstar
Youngstown, OH (WYTV) – Nexstar