Jimmy Kimmel Back On Sinclair’s ABC Stations After Being Silenced

Jimmy Kimmel is back on TV screens across the country after Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it’s resuming broadcasts of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates.

The late-night host’s show was pulled from Sinclair-owned stations for more than a week after his remarks on the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sparked backlash and even drew a warning from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. Disney reinstated Kimmel last week, but Sinclair and Nexstar kept him off their local ABC stations, swapping in reruns and news segments instead.

Public pressure mounted quickly. Fans, lawmakers, and free speech advocates slammed the blackout as censorship. Facing criticism, Sinclair said Friday it would restore Kimmel to roughly 38 of its stations, insisting the decision was made “independently” and not because of political pressure. Even with the blackout, Kimmel’s first night back on air pulled in 6.2 million viewers, a big number that proved audiences were tuned in and ready to watch.

While Sinclair has reversed course, Nexstar, which owns several ABC affiliates and is waiting on FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, hasn’t confirmed whether it will follow suit. That means the fight over late-night programming and free speech isn’t finished just yet. Jimmy Kimmel may be back on Sinclair’s stations, but this was more than a TV blackout; it was a showdown over who controls what audiences get to see. Sinclair’s reversal shows public pressure works, but all eyes are now on Nexstar and the FCC to see how this battle plays out.