Sinclair Broadcast Group has reconsidered its position and will once again broadcast “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on its ABC-affiliated stations across the nation. According to the company, this decision follows careful consideration of “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives.”
The media company, known for its inclination towards right-leaning content, initially planned to replace Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show. This was triggered after the ABC network paused “Kimmel” following the host’s contentious remarks about Charlie Kirk's passing, which received criticism from the GOP, Donald Trump, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
After ABC's announcement that it would cease providing new or repeat episodes of "Kimmel" starting September 17, 2025, and replace it with reruns of “Celebrity Family Feud,” Sinclair initially intended to broadcast a special about Kirk instead of ABC’s content. Although the company later changed its plan and aired the network's original programming. When ABC announced “Kimmel” would return September 23, 2025, both Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group opted to blackout the program on their ABC affiliates until September 26, 2025. Note that Friday “Kimmel” shows are typically repeats.
Nexstar also declared its decision to cease preempting the show. Reports indicated that both ownership groups were engaged in “discussions” with the ABC network regarding the issue, the specifics of which remain unclear. Generally, affiliates are obligated to broadcast most network-provided programming, including primetime and late-night talk shows and news programs, with exceptions made for breaking news. Some stations have negotiated exemptions from broadcasting network programming or airing it at alternate times to accommodate local needs, although this is increasingly rare.
Networks often permit greater flexibility in overnight hours and certain weekend slots, allowing local stations to preempt or reschedule programs to suit local programming and syndication demands. It remains uncertain whether Sinclair and Nexstar's decision to preempt “Kimmel” potentially breached their affiliate agreement with the network and how ABC may have responded to their blackouts.
There have been instances where local stations opted out of airing network programming due to content concerns or anticipated low ratings. For instance, in 2009, when NBC launched “The Jay Leno Show” at 10 p.m. ET five nights a week, WHDH, the NBC affiliate in Boston owned by Sunbeam Television, chose to preempt the show in favor of additional local news. Reports suggested that the station feared “Leno” would negatively impact the lead-in to its late local newscasts at 11 p.m. The decision strained relations between WHDH management and NBC, ultimately leading to the dissolution of their partnership in 2017. NBC affiliated with WBTS, which it owned, while WHDH became independent.
Speculation arose that Sinclair and Nexstar might have been leveraging their influence to pressure ABC to cancel Kimmel or enhance their standing with the Trump administration. Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna is pending, which would require revisions to FCC guidelines on nationwide station ownership caps and local market limits. Sinclair has also announced it is exploring the sale of its stations. FCC approval is required to transfer a TV station license from one owner to another. In early 2025, the FCC had blocked the transfer of CBS-owned television station licenses to Skydance Media after Trump accused the network of misleading editing of an interview that damaged his political reputation. Although most legal experts agreed the suit was without merit, CBS parent Paramount Global opted to pay $16 million to Trump’s library fund to settle the suit. Reports indicate the main incentive was to get Skydance’s purchase of Paramount to go through, though officially there were denials of any quid pro quo. The sale of Paramount was approved days after the settlement deal was reached.
Sinclair has a history of right-leaning actions, including mandating its stations to air editorials from a conservative executive. The company faced criticism for planning to air a program questioning John Kerry’s military record before the 2004 election when Kerry was a candidate. In 2018, numerous Sinclair stations broadcasted promos featuring anchors reading near-identical scripts, perceived by some as an effort to cast doubt on the media industry amid right-wing messaging. These promos were described as "hostage videos."