Overview

• Sinclair said the late-night show will return to its roughly 38–40 ABC affiliates starting Friday night after a nine‑day pause.
• Nexstar continues to block the program on about 30 ABC stations as it evaluates the situation in talks with Disney.
• ABC/Disney reinstated the show earlier this week after a brief suspension, and Kimmel’s return drew about 6.3 million TV viewers plus roughly 26 million views of his monologue on social platforms, according to the network.
• Sinclair cited responses from viewers and advertisers, referenced a recent shooting at an ABC affiliate in Sacramento, and floated measures such as a network‑wide independent ombudsman.
• Reporting indicates Disney made no editorial concessions, as congressional Democrats press Sinclair and Nexstar on whether their decisions were tied to pending FCC matters after Chair Brendan Carr’s harsh public criticism of Kimmel.