Jimmy Kimmel Faced the Real Fear That His Show Could End After Broadcasters Boycotted It
In the tense hours following ABC's decision to pull "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air, combined with ABC affiliates owned by Sinclair and Nexstar stating they would halt the program indefinitely, Jimmy Kimmel genuinely worried that his show might never come back. This fear was heightened when Sinclair sent him a list of demands—including issuing an apology—that Kimmel would have to accept before his show could return.
Reflecting on that moment, Kimmel said at the Bloomberg Screentime event in Hollywood, "When I realized I was down to fewer than 40 affiliates, I thought, 'Well, this is it.' A list of conditions was presented, and I had no intention of agreeing to any of them. So I said to my wife, 'That's the end of it. We're done.'"
However, Kimmel ultimately resumed broadcasting, and he believes his comeback after the short suspension "went as well as could be expected." What mattered most to him was explaining his true intentions after the controversy, which he felt had been "deliberately and, I believe, maliciously misrepresented."
This appearance at Bloomberg Screentime marked Kimmel's first time engaging directly with a reporter about the uproar from the previous month when ABC pulled him from the airwaves for several days and Nexstar and Sinclair's ABC affiliates pre-empted his show.
Speaking about preparing his first episode back on September 23, Kimmel shared, "That episode had to come from a deeply personal place. It needed to be honest—a full, open account of my feelings and experience. I knew it wouldn't be flawless; some people would still disagree or reject it. But my priority was to clarify what I was saying and what I truly meant."
When asked about conversations with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden right after the incident, Kimmel described them as "very constructive. These are longtime friends whom I genuinely like. We were all committed to resolving this as best as possible. Although I must confess, I completely disrupted Dana’s weekend with nonstop calls."
Kimmel credited Walden heavily for his reinstatement: "I don't think the outcome, which turned out quite positive, would have been the same without the many discussions I had with Dana. Those talks helped me process everything and understand all perspectives. I can be impulsive and sometimes harsh, but having those few days to reflect was invaluable."
Pressed on his preference for Disney's next CEO, Kimmel declined to pick favorites but expressed strong admiration for Walden, recognizing her leadership and support during this crisis. He also condemned how unfairly Disney executives were treated over the previous weeks, calling it "insane" and hoping this incident serves as a clear red line for what we as Americans will tolerate going forward.
The controversy started when Kimmel was taken off the air for three nights by ABC following threats from Brendan Carr, FCC chairman, who targeted the network over Kimmel's monologue remarks. Carr reacted angrily after Kimmel criticized right-wing efforts to distance themselves from the murderer of Charlie Kirk, accusing them of politicizing the tragedy. Specifically, Carr threatened to investigate ABC affiliates unless Kimmel was removed from the air, implying FCC license revocation.
Asked when he first sensed trouble, Kimmel admitted, "At first, I didn’t see it as a major issue. I thought it was just distorted coverage by some right-wing media outlets, and I aimed to correct the record. I’m used to controversy, but sometimes what seems small becomes huge, and sometimes it doesn’t."
Following Carr's threats, Nexstar and Sinclair pulled Kimmel from their ABC stations, forcing Disney to suspend "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" temporarily. This decision, however, ignited intense debate about free speech and eventually gave Kimmel a powerful platform for his return on September 23. That night’s episode drew 6.3 million viewers—his highest regular audience ever—despite not being broadcast in 23% of U.S. homes. By week’s end, Nexstar and Sinclair reinstated the show.
More recently, Carr agreed to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding the circumstances surrounding ABC's brief suspension of Kimmel.
At the same Bloomberg event, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass praised the swift comeback, calling it "a great victory" fueled by public demand. She noted, "When you face challenges and changes, seeing Jimmy Kimmel return to the airwaves is a win for all of us."
Beyond the controversy, Kimmel addressed earlier comments he made to Variety about CBS’s rationale for canceling "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," which CBS claimed lost $40 million annually. He disputed the figure, explaining, "I know the budgets for these shows hover around $100 to $120 million a year. I know what I and Stephen earn, what ad sales generate, and affiliate fees are part of that equation. It’s not losing $40 million outright. Is it losing any money? I don’t know for sure, but if it is, it can’t be much."
Finally, when asked about how much longer "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will continue, he joked that he often says one thing and does the opposite. "I’ve claimed the last three contracts would be my final one," he said with a smile. "Now I just avoid saying anything because it worries my team. When the time comes, I’ll make the decision quietly."
But here’s the part most people miss: Should a network or political pressure group ever have the power to silence a late night host? Or is Kimmel's experience a sign of a much larger struggle over free expression in media? What do you think—was ABC’s initial suspension justified, or an overreach? Join the conversation and share your thoughts below.
