Breaking: Affiliates Revolt, Refuse to Bring Kimmel Back Even After ABC, Disney Unsuspend Show - Blunt Comments May Spell Doom

Jimmy Kimmel may have thought his suspension was behind him, but the embattled late-night host just received a reality check from one of the largest broadcasters in America.

Despite Disney and ABC announcing the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, the Sinclair Broadcast Group declared it will not reinstate the program on any of its ABC affiliate stations. The move effectively blocks Kimmel’s platform from millions of households nationwide.

Kimmel was suspended last Wednesday after falsely claiming that a Trump supporter assassinated Charlie Kirk and sneering that conservatives were trying to “score political points” off the tragedy.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said during his Sept. 15 broadcast.

Those inflammatory remarks backfired almost immediately, leading ABC to suspend him indefinitely. The network attempted damage control this week by announcing the show would return Tuesday, claiming the issue was simply a matter of “ill-timed” comments.

But Sinclair wasn’t buying it.

On Monday, the company posted to X:

“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”

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Sinclair operates more than 30 ABC affiliates — the largest number in the United States. That reach gives the broadcaster the power to kneecap Kimmel’s already floundering ratings.

The company previously called on Kimmel to apologize directly to Charlie Kirk’s family and to make a “meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA.

“Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform,” the group stated.

Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith was even more direct, saying, “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country. We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities.”

Kimmel’s controversial history has been widely documented. He has performed skits in blackface mocking both NBA legend Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey, in addition to repeatedly pushing left-wing talking points under the guise of comedy.

Despite his $15 million salary, Kimmel’s program is struggling. Nielsen data shows the show averaged just 1.1 million viewers in August 2025 — a fraction of the audience commanded daily by many conservative podcasters.

At this point, many argue the issue isn’t just Kimmel’s reckless politics but the fact that he simply isn’t funny — and fewer Americans than ever are bothering to watch.