Jimmy Kimmel Live! Obtains the official return date while Disney reads the room wisely

[UPDATE: Sinclair Broadcasting has released a statement saying “Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming.” The article below is as originally published.]

Hourra for common sense. After Disney helped launch an unprecedented attack on freedom of expression by pulling the actor Jimmy Kimmel and his late evening “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Outside the air, the company officially returns its controversial decision a few days later. This decision caused a fierce and implacable quantity of counterouss almost immediately, because the figures of the industry in politics and entertainment were united in disgust and indignation in the face of what was largely described as a censorship sponsored by the State. Fortunately, the company seems to have read the room and decided to start things again. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney (which owns the ABC network that Jimmy Kimmel previously called Home) announced the news that Kimmel will return to his show on Tuesday September 23, 2025, following “thoughtful conversations” with the host. As the company explained in a press release:

“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production in the show in order to avoid igniting a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. This is a decision that we made because we estimated that some of the comments were badly emissary and therefore insensitive. We spent the last days to have thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after these conversations, we made the decision to return on Tuesday.”

The abrupt face is the last chapter (and hopefully) of this saga, which started with Kimmel’s comments on the air concerning the attempts of the members of the Republican Party to politicize the recent ball death of the right podcastor Charlie Kirk. This was followed by the pressure adopted by the Federal Commission Commission (FCC), essentially threatening ABC and Disney as a whole with unpertified regulatory consequences should “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Stay in the air. The Nexstar Media dissemination conglomerate later doubled, announcing their intentions to “pre -empt the broadcasts” of the program unless Disney takes matters into hand. Cue a wave of calls to boycott Disney, with various public figures adding their names to open letters and other efforts organized to correct this obvious harm.

Everything is fine that ends well … right? Not so fast. The indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” had the potential to mark an austere demarcation line in the history of the country. Never before an exercise president and the head of the FCC (Brandon Carr, an ally known to the president) joined forces with freedom of expression which is not in the process of disagreement with political lines, and never before has an entire business has not capitulated with as much speed and will as Disney – at least, not in the United States. The assembly assembly began to paint this as a possible inheritance manufacturer (or, more specifically, Legacy-Rainer) for the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, which makes Disney reversal a crucial aspect to look in the next few days and weeks.

What does that mean for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” In the short term, Kimmel’s staff returns to work with a minimum disturbance (in terms of time, that is to say) rather than a work stoppage probably prolonged or even permanent-a key point of discord from the Kimmel camp when he tried to recover his program on ABC, in various reports. But as to SI SIT Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliation group, will also follow the example of Disney and return the late evening show to its local ABC affiliates continues to be an open question. Sinclair previously promised not to make not have presented Kimmel and made a financial donation to the non -profit organization of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA. According to what Sinclair and Nexstar decide: “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” may not be fully available across the country except online.

As for Kimmel, ThR reports that his contract expires at the end of 2026. Rumors swirled a potential retirement, although we do not currently know how the events of last week can influence his own thought in this regard. For the moment, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will come back to ABC tomorrow – although what capacity remains to be seen.