Sinclair’s ABC networks have decided to exclude ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ from airtime starting Tuesday, replacing it with news programming. Variety confirms the preemptive schedule begins Tuesday, with Sinclair offering the show’s replacement as ‘news programming.’ The decision comes amid ongoing negotiations between Sinclair and ABC, as both parties evaluate the show’s potential return. A representative from Sinclair stated, “Starting Tuesday, Sinclair will begin preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across its ABC-affiliated stations and replace it with news programming.” Discussions with ABC are still ongoing as they consider the show’s future relevance.
‘Beginning Tuesday, Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,’ a Sinclair rep said. ‘Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,’ the rep added. The move follows a recent agreement from Disney (https://variety.com/t/disney/) and ABC to bring back Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program, which was previously sidelined due to controversies surrounding Charlie Kirk. In a Monday statement, Disney acknowledged suspending production to avoid further inflaming an emotional moment, stating it was made because of ill-timed comments and insensitive remarks. The decision was reached after spending days having meaningful conversations with Kimmel.
Disney later shut down Kimmel (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/nexstar-jimmy-kimmel-abc-charlie-kirk-1236522584/) after Nexstar Media and Sinclair, two major U.S. TV station owners, announced preemptive scheduling for his commentary on Charlie Kirk. These announcements were quickly followed by FFC chair Brendan Carr (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/brendan-carr-abc-fcc-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-1236522406/) suggesting that broadcasters should penalize Kimmel for his comments on Kirk’s death. This sparked significant industry backlash, with many entertainment figures rallying behind the late-night host, including Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Martin Short, who signed an open letter protesting Disney’s decision to pull Kimmel from the air.
Kimmel’s return on Tuesday was approved by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden. Terms of the agreement remain unclear, with questions about whether Kimmel must apologize for his comments on Kirk. Sinclair, however, vowed last week to run a special news report on Charlie Kirk during Kimmel’s slot instead of the ABC game show. But the company ended up moving the special to its streaming platform and sticking with an ABC broadcast.
