Sinclair, Nexstar end boycott of Jimmy Kimmel show

By Lukas I. Alpert

Nexstar was the last holdout in a move by some ABC affiliates to take Kimmel's late-night talk show off the air amid government pressure that raised allegations of censorship

The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show by ABC and its affiliates led to protests and calls to boycott Disney streaming services.

Local-television giants Sinclair Inc. and Nexstar Media Group Inc. said Friday that they were ending their boycott of late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel's program, returning "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to the companies' ABC affiliate stations.

Sinclair (SBGI) said it had made the decision to return Kimmel's show to the air, following a nearly two-week suspension, after the company engaged in "constructive discussions" with ABC and received "thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives."

"In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback and community dialogue, including a networkwide independent ombudsman," Sinclair said in a statement. "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."

Sinclair's decision to bring Kimmel's show back in more than 30 markets where it operates ABC affiliates - including Washington, D.C., Seattle and Columbus, Ohio - put pressure on Nexstar (NXST) to end its own boycott of the program, which the companies pulled off their channels in response to remarks the comedian made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month.

Nexstar said later Friday that the show would return to its stations on Friday night.

"We have had discussions with executives at the Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns. As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve," the company said in a statement.

"Our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals," Nexstar added.

Both Nexstar and Sinclair - which operate more than 60 ABC affiliates in total - announced on Sept. 17 that they intended to suspend Kimmel's show on their channels in response to comments he made about Kirk's killing in his opening monologue two days earlier.

ABC and parent company Walt Disney Co. (DIS) then indefinitely suspended Kimmel's show across its entire network of 250 affiliates.

The decision to suspend Kimmel came just hours after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to take action against the broadcaster and its affiliates if steps weren't taken to rein in Kimmel.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said in a podcast interview on Sept. 17. "These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

For Nexstar, this posed a potential problem. Last month, the company, which owns over 200 stations across the country, reached a deal to acquire Tegna Inc. (TGNA), the owner of 64 television stations, for $6.2 billion. But to allow the deal to go through, the government will need to make a major change to longstanding rules that cap the number of households one television company can reach.

Sinclair has similarly been looking to sell some of its stations or buy others, and will likely need government approval to make any moves.

The suspension of Kimmel's show sparked heavy criticism in Hollywood and among free-speech advocates, including Democrats and even some conservatives, who argued that the pressure from the Trump administration amounted to an assault on free speech. Some called for a boycott of Disney's streaming services like Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.

Disney decided to return Kimmel to the air on Monday - a move that was met with criticism from some conservatives, who called for a counterboycott of Disney's services. At that point, both Nexstar and Sinclair continued to boycott Kimmel's program, although they said they were continuing to negotiate with ABC on a resolution.

Claudia Assis contributed.

-Lukas I. Alpert

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09-26-25 1733ET