Nexstar said its ABC-affiliated stations would continue preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! when ABC planned the show’s return in September 2025, citing host Jimmy Kimmel’s comments and saying it wanted assurance of “respectful, constructive dialogue.” Three days later, Nexstar announced the program would return to its stations beginning that night.
Why did Nexstar refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel?
On September 23, 2025, Nexstar said its owned and partner ABC-affiliated stations would keep preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! as ABC planned for the show to return. Nexstar’s explanation referred to Kimmel’s “ill-timed and insensitive” comments, a characterization it attributed to ABC, and said it stood by the preemption while awaiting assurance of “respectful, constructive dialogue” in the markets it served. Nexstar’s September 23 statement
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That was Nexstar’s stated rationale—not an independently established finding about the merits of the comments or the company’s full internal reasoning. The company also said the show remained available nationwide through multiple Disney-owned streaming products during the station preemption, but did not name those services in its statement.
What happened, and when did Nexstar bring the show back?
- September 17, 2025: ABC suspended the program following Kimmel’s comments about reactions to the killing of Charlie Kirk. The Associated Press reported that Nexstar said it would pull the show from its affiliates; AP described Nexstar as operating 23 ABC affiliates at that time. Associated Press, September 17, 2025
- September 23, 2025: With ABC planning the show’s return, Nexstar announced that its owned and partner ABC-affiliated stations would continue preempting it, pending the assurances described above. Nexstar, September 23, 2025
- September 26, 2025: Nexstar announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to its ABC-affiliated stations beginning that night. The company said it had held discussions with Disney executives and appreciated Disney’s “constructive approach to addressing our concerns.” Nexstar, September 26, 2025
ABC’s initial suspension and Nexstar’s later decision to continue the preemption were separate actions: the latter kept the program off Nexstar stations after ABC planned its return.
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How many Nexstar ABC affiliates were affected?
Contemporaneous reports gave different counts, and the available accounts do not explain the discrepancy. Keep each figure tied to its publisher and date rather than treating either as a definitive count for the entire episode.
| Publisher and date | Reported count | What the report said |
|---|---|---|
| Associated Press, September 17, 2025 | 23 ABC affiliates | AP reported Nexstar operated that many ABC affiliates at the time. AP report |
| CBS News, September 23, 2025 | 33 ABC affiliates | CBS reported that many Nexstar ABC affiliates in its coverage of the continued preemption. CBS News report |
What was the wider context—and what does it not prove?
The dispute unfolded after Kimmel’s remarks about reactions to Charlie Kirk’s killing and amid public criticism from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, as the Associated Press reported. CBS News also noted that Nexstar had a pending $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna that required FCC approval. Those events provide context, but neither report establishes that FCC pressure or the Tegna transaction caused Nexstar’s programming decision. Nexstar’s public explanation was its stated concern about Kimmel’s comments and the dialogue it expected in its markets.
The decision described here concerned Nexstar’s owned and partner ABC-affiliated stations; it should not be read as a claim that every ABC affiliate preempted the show. CBS News reported that the preemption affected Nexstar and Sinclair stations, which are distinct station groups.
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