How Jimmy Kimmel’s TV battle could put NFL and college football at risk

After comedian and late night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show was pulled from the airwaves, the backlash was swift, with many people protesting ABC and Disney and canceling subscriptions. After just a week, Disney (ABC’s parent company) announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be coming back. It made its return on Tuesday night, but several local station groups like Nexstar and Sinclair, which own many local ABC affiliates, still did not air the show, instead replacing it with their own programming like local news.

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Jimmy Kimmel vs ABC affiliates: Why it could affect how you watch football

Nearly 70 affiliate stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair did not air Jimmy Kimmel’s return show, opting for alternate programming instead. This move risks violating affiliate agreements, which limit how often stations can preempt network shows. If preemptions exceed what’s allowed by contract, the affiliate may be in breach.

If breached, Disney could take drastic measures, including pulling high-value programming like SEC college football and Monday Night Football from those affiliates. With live sports rights being critical for broadcasters, the standoff raises questions about whether Disney might use football as leverage.

If they pulled football from those local affiliates, fans in those areas wouldn’t see games on their normal ABC channels. Instead, they might have to pay for ESPN’s streaming service or find another way to watch.

Not time to panic yet

Whether Disney will actually pull football programming from those affiliates is still a maybe. It’s a tool Disney might use if pressure escalates, but no public move has been made. How long the refusal to air Kimmel will last is also unclear. Nexstar and Sinclair have characterized their preemption as “pending assurance” or ongoing discussion. The number of preemptions allowed, the penalties for exceeding them, and whether those contracts give Disney leverage are generally confidential.

Viewer impact and advertiser reactions could influence what happens next, but how strong that pressure will be is unpredictable.

What is likely to happen is that Disney will try to negotiate or pressure Nexstar and Sinclair back into compliance without having to pull football rights. A temporary period of preemption may persist while statements, demands, or apologies are negotiated. But the threat to sports rights is likely being held in reserve, as a bargaining chip, rather than being used outright (unless, of course, things escalate badly).

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