In the span of a week, Disney, Nexstar, and Sinclair have taken Jimmy Kimmel, and audiences, for a ride worthy of a Mickey Mouse theme park. After ABC’s decision to pull Kimmel last Wednesday, the company announced yesterday afternoon that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to ABC tonight. After the show’s reinstatement, Sinclair swiftly declared it would not be host to Jimmy’s return, stating, “Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming.” This morning, Nexstar followed suit, also stating in a press release that it would not be airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! across its stations “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” They made sure to note that you can always watch Kimmel elsewhere. Generous.
So what does that mean for broadcast, cable, and antenna-loving audiences? It’s a frustrating situation, but it’s not a complete loss for now. There are about five dozen ABC affiliate stations that will not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the time being, but collectively, those Nexstar and Sinclair stations represent only about 25 percent of the total viewing audience across the country. Live TV options for ABC on Hulu, Fubo, or YouTube TV will not be available to subscribers in these Nexstar and Sinclair affiliate areas, but if you’re living in Sinclair or Nexstar markets and want to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live!, you will be able to access Kimmel in full on Hulu the next day (unless you canceled your subscription). Of course, if you’re really cheap and don’t want to give Disney any money at all, there are always YouTube clips.
As for where the show will be airing, ABC does own eight stations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham, Fresno, and Houston. Those markets, as well as the 75 percent of stations owned by other affiliate groups, will remain unaffected. For everyone else, here are the nearly 60 broadcast markets that will have stations impacted by Sinclair and Nexstar’s decision to preempt Kimmel.
TV markets with ABC stations owned by Sinclair
Abilene, TX (KTXS)
Amarillo, TX (KVII, KVIH)
Birmingham, AL (WABM, WBMA, WDBB)
Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL (WICD, WICS)
Charleston-Huntington, WV (WCHS, WCIV)
Chattanooga, TN (WFLI)
Columbus, OH (WSYX)
Dayton, OH (WKEF)
Eureka, CA (KAEF)
Florence–Myrtle Beach, SC (WPDE)
Greensboro–High Point–Winston Salem, NC (WXLV)
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, Asheville, NC, and Anderson, SC (WLOS)
Greenville–N.Bern–Washington, NC (WCTI)
Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, NE (KHGI, KHGI-CD, KWNB, KWNB-LD)
Little Rock–Pine Bluff, AR (KATV)
Macon, GA (WGXA)
Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL (WEAR)
Ottumwa, IA, and Kirksville, MO (KTVO)
Portland, OR (KATU)
Quincy, IL, Hannibal, MO, and Keokuk, IA (KHQA)
Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA (WSET)
Rochester, NY (WHAM)
San Angelo, TX (KTXE-LD)
Seattle-Tacoma, WA (KOMO)
St. Louis, MO (KDNL)
Traverse City–Cadillac, MI (WGTQ, WGTU, WPBN, WTOM)
Tulsa, OK (KTUL)
Washington, D.C. (WJLA)
TV markets with ABC Stations owned by Nexstar