Overview

• Marisa Kabas’s The Handbasket reported more than 1.7 million paid cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN from September 17–23 after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a figure not disclosed by Disney in official filings.
• Disney pulled the show on September 17 following affiliate preemptions by Nexstar and Sinclair, then reinstated Kimmel on September 23, calling his remarks “ill‑timed,” with most affiliates restoring carriage by September 26.
• Kimmel’s return drew an estimated 6.5 million viewers for the comeback episode before settling near 2.3 million by that Thursday, according to reported Nielsen figures.
• FCC chair Brendan Carr publicly warned broadcasters on September 17 about potential agency action over Kimmel’s remarks, a move that continues to draw legal and political scrutiny.
• Late‑night hosts have taken divergent paths, with Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers publicly backing Kimmel while Jimmy Fallon says he will avoid politics, a stance that has faced online criticism.