Sinclair Isn't Airing 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' But Why Did They Make That Call?

After a tense week filled with people cancelling their Disney+ subscriptions and trips to Disney World, ABC announced on Sept. 22 that it would be bringing Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air. The network first announced the show's suspension earlier in September after Kimmel made comments about the reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk.

Even as Kimmel's show is set to return on Sept. 23, though, Sinclair, one of the biggest broadcasters in the country, has announced that it will continue to keep Kimmel off the air, which will eat into the revenue that ABC can earn from the show. Here's what we know about why they're doing that.

Sinclair released a statement announcing its decision, but it didn't offer much in the way of detail about their rationale.

“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,” the company wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Sinclair owns more affiliate stations than any other company in the country.

While it didn't offer any rationale, it said it would continue to work with ABC. The obvious answer is that, while ABC felt pressured to bring Kimmel back, Sinclair doesn't currently feel that same pressure. Sinclair is also known for being an overly right-wing company, so this decision is likely at least partially because of the company's close affiliation with the current administration.

It's also unclear whether there's anything ABC or Kimmel himself could do to earn his way back onto Sinclair stations. For now, it seems like Kimmel has been unwilling to offer any concessions, and the odds seem good to Kimmel will continue to speak openly about politics when he returns to the airwaves, which might only further alienate Sinclair, a company that does not share his politics.

Given that they own many ABC affiliates across the country, many people naturally began to wonder whether Kimmel would be preempted where they live. For a full list of the stations owned by Sinclair, you can look here. While it definitely doesn't have total dominance, that list includes some major metropolitan areas as well as other important hubs across the country, which will certainly eat into Kimmel's ratings.

Nexstar was among the first companies to pull Kimmel from the air alongside Sinclair, and the company has not yet said whether it will allow his show to air on its affiliates or preempt it. The company owns 32 ABC affiliates, and according to Deadline, it and Sinclair combine to make up ABC's total audience reach in the country.

For now, then, those who have Nexstar affiliate stations will have to wait and see whether the company makes an announcement. Its silence could be an indication that it's planning to air Kimmel, but that's definitely not a guarantee at this point.