Sinclair Caves, Ends Its Preemption of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Its ABC Affiliates

Disney caved first, stating that after "thoughtful discussions" with Jimmy Kimmel, it would return his show to the air. So much for the narrative that President Trump had ordered the FCC to shut down the show.

We're sure "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" got a ratings bump that Tuesday night as people tuned in to see what direction he was going to take. Would he apologize or double down on his sick comments about Charlie Kirk's assassin being one of MAGA's own? We're not sure how well Kimmel's ratings held up, seeing as both Sinclair and Nexstar said they'd be preempting Kimmel's show with news programming.

We'd broken out the frame of Orson Welles applauding when announcing Sinclair's decision. Sinclair even said that it would be airing a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel's time slot.

We're afraid we're going to have to find another graphic to go with this piece, because, according to CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter, Sinclair announced Friday that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" would be returning to all its affilate stations.

This just in: "Sinclair today announced that it will end its preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the show will return this evening on Sinclair’s ABC affiliates."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 26, 2025

Sinclair released this lengthy statement:

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.
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.
In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman. These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.
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.
As a company rooted in local stations, Sinclair remains committed to serving our communities with programming that reflects their priorities, earns their trust, and promotes constructive dialogue. We look forward to continuing to work with ABC to deliver content that serves a broad spectrum of our communities.