Jimmy Kimmel and Disney are working toward reaching a compromise that would allow “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to return to ABC.
The veteran host’s business and legal representatives are deep in discussions with Disney and ABC leaders in the hopes of finding a path to a compromise that would allow for the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” according to three people with knowledge of the situation.
The host has made no public comment since the show was abruptly pulled from its regular 11:35 p.m. slot on Sept. 17, with Disney saying only that the program would be off of its schedule “indefinitely” after one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the U.S., Nexstar, said it intended to pre-empt airings of the program following remarks the host made in relation to Trump and the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sinclair, another large station owner, said it too was taking Kimmel off of its stations. Kimmel has hosted ABC’s late-night franchise since 2003 and in recent years has become a key face of the network as the host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” the Academy Awards and other specials.
There is no guarantee Kimmel and Disney will come to terms on agreement to return to the airwaves, these people cautioned. Nor is it clear where Kimmel’s mindset stands on what he would and would not accept from ABC as conditions of taking the stage again for “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” It’s understood that Kimmel is mindful of the effects a shutdown would have on dozens of his production staffers as well as vendors in Los Angeles who work on the show, according to one source with knowledge of the situation. The host is also aware some staff and crew members are still digging out of the financial hole created by the months-long writers and actors strikes in 2023.
Disney representatives declined to comment. Kimmel’s media representative did not respond to requests for comment.
The incendiary situation around Kimmel has unleashed a torrent of criticism of Disney from the left and right. Free speech advocates have decried the company’s swift move to take Kimmel off the air. Conservatives have cheered and Trump has reiterated his threat to push for broadcast networks to lose their licenses for allowing anti-Trump and anti-MAGA voices on their airwaves. Demonstrations erupted on Thursday outside Disney offices in New York and Burbank and outside the theater complex in Hollywood where “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is produced.
There is no doubt that Kimmel and Disney need to proceed with caution. The company needs many TV stations to distribute “Jimmy Kimmel Live” across the U.S. if it is to generate the ratings the network has guaranteed to advertisers. Ad spending on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” totaled $51.1 million in 2024, according to data from Guideline, a tracker of ad spending, accounting for 21% of all advertising on late night programs.
It’s understood that ABC and Disney brass had been flagging concerns to Kimmel for some time about the sharpness of his critiques of President Donald Trump and his unprecedented takeover of federal agencies. Kimmel has, like other commentators, not held back in his disdain for the Trump administration’s campaign with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to round up suspected undocumented immigrants on the streets and in workplaces, without regard for constitutional norms of due process and equal justice.
At the same time, Kimmel’s remarks on Monday about how conservatives were using Kirk’s death to make political points and about President Trump’s muted reaction to the matter while talking to reporters has spurred a Republican crusade. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened earlier on Wednesday to take action against ABC. After Disney’s decision was revealed, Carr said he wanted “to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing” in a statement on social media. “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community.” Since that time, Carr has made more statements suggesting he might investigate other Disney shows, like “The View.”
As the controversy swirled, Disney executives felt they had no choice but to bump Kimmel in order to let the MAGA media-fueled controversy subside.
All the media companies involved are likely to have matters under government review in months to come. Nexstar is in the midst of trying to acquire another large TV station owner, Tegna, for $6.2 billion, a transaction that requires the approval of the FCC. A Nexstar spokesman has said Carr’s comments had no bearing on its decision to pre-empt Kimmel’s show. Sinclair last month announced a “comprehensive strategic review” of its broadcast business; any M&A involving local TV stations would be subject to FCC review and approval.
Disney, too, will require government permission to move forward in some critical business initiatives. The company has secured a deal that will give the National Football League a 10% stake in its giant ESPN sports-media outlet, and is also working to buy a majority stake in the Fubo live-streaming service and merge it with a similar product tied to live viewing TV networks via its own Hulu.
Free speech advocates from both sides of the political aisle have decried the moves that forced Kimmel’s show off the air. Both Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and the American Civil Liberties Union, have suggested that government should not silence dissenting voices in America, as the ability to speak one’s mind is paramount in the U.S.
Kimmel, who has hosted his late night program on ABC since 2003, has in recent years weighed when he might step down from his midnight duties. People who know him say he is closer to the end of his late-night tenure than the beginning. But he also knows that the show helps him with other Disney-backed activities, such as hosting the current edition of ABC’s “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,” and other projects.
The host knows he has better roads to take to an exit, and Disney seemed interested in working with him to draw a map.
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