Overview

• ABC returned Jimmy Kimmel to air on September 23, and major affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair resumed carriage on September 26 after brief preemptions.
• Journalist Marisa Kabas reported about 1.7 million paid cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN during September 17–23, a spike tied to the backlash over the suspension.
• Jefferies, citing Morning Consult data, found Disney and Disney+ sentiment at multi‑year lows; Disney shares are down roughly 6% over the past month as streaming price increases take effect October 21.
• Kimmel criticized President Donald Trump on Stephen Colbert’s show and later joked that an FCC shutdown of complaint phone lines meant he could “say whatever we want” on TV.
• The episode intensified debate over FCC influence after Chair Brendan Carr publicly warned broadcasters, while Jimmy Fallon said he will avoid overt politics and faced online pushback for that stance.