In recent days, the entertainment world has been buzzing about the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. This decision by Disney and its associated entities stemmed from controversial remarks made by Kimmel regarding the passing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. As a result of the ensuing public outcry, which included numerous celebrities voicing their discontent and fans threatening to boycott platforms like Disney+ and Hulu, the network decided to reverse its course. Jimmy Kimmel will make his on-screen return tonight, September 23, 2025, at 11:35 PM ET. Viewership is expected to soar as audiences are eager to hear Kimmel’s take on recent events.
However, viewers in certain markets may face a hurdle. Although Kimmel’s show will be broadcasted across most ABC stations in the U.S., some affiliates owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group will not air the episode. Sinclair confirmed this in a statement, which quoted:
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming.”
Wondering if your local channel falls under this ban? Here’s what you need to know about how to navigate this situation.
Is Jimmy Kimmel Live! banned on my local channel?
Sinclair operates 39 stations nationwide with affected regions including parts of Florida, California, and Texas. The specific channel you can tune in to depends on your exact, local area.
According to Newsweek, the following Sinclair-owned affiliates will not be airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight:
- WBMA-LD – Birmingham, AL
- WEAR-TV – Pensacola, FL
- KATV – Little Rock, AR
- KRCR-TV – Redding, CA
- KAEF-TV – Eureka, CA
- WJLA-TV – Washington, DC
- WGXA – Macon, GA
- WSYX – Columbus, OH
- WKEF – Dayton, OH
- KTUL – Tulsa, OK
- WSET-TV – Lynchburg, VA
- WCHS-TV – Charleston, WV
- WLOS – Asheville, NC
- WXLV-TV – Winston-Salem, NC
- KHGI-TV – Kearney, NE
- KWNB-TV – Hayes Center, NE
- KTXS-TV – Abilene, TX
- KVII-TV – Amarillo, TX
- KTXE-LD – San Angelo, TX
- WATM-TV – Altoona, PA
- WGTU – Traverse City, MI
- WTOM-TV – Cheboygan, MI
- WGTQ – Sault Ste. Marie, MI
- KATU – Portland, OR
- WJAC-TV – Johnstown, PA
- WICS – Springfield, IL
- WICD – Champaign, IL
- KDNL-TV – St. Louis, MO
- WNBW-DT – Gainesville, FL
- WCTI-TV – New Bern, NC
- WGTU – Traverse City, MI
- WTVC – Chattanooga, TN
If you find your station on this list, don’t worry; there are still alternative ways to catch the show.
How to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! if it’s banned in my local area
The most effective workaround to access Jimmy Kimmel Live! is to utilize a premium live TV streaming service. Many of these platforms offer free trials, meaning you can sign up, watch the show, and cancel before your billing period without spending a dime.
As noted by Men’s Journal, most of these services source from local TV affiliates. Here are some options you might consider:
- Hulu + Live TV – Offers a 3-day free trial – $82.99 per month. Use your zip code on their site to confirm local channel availability.
- FuboTV – 7-day free trial available – $54.99 per month. Confirm channel availability by entering your zip code.
- YouTube TV – 5-day free trial – First month for $49.99. Ensure to enter your zip code to check availability.
- Sling Blue – Priced at $23 per month, no free trial. Note that this service may not provide local affiliate channels, though ABC may be available.
To enhance your chances of success, consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPNs can mask your IP address, allowing you to browse as if you were located in a different state—particularly one where Jimmy Kimmel is airing, such as Colorado or New York.
For a reliable and cost-effective option, we recommend NordVPN, which not only works for blocking geo-restrictions but is also useful for platforms like BBC iPlayer. You can find additional VPN options on our list of the best VPNs.
Using a VPN should give you access to local channels based on the state you’re connected to; however, we cannot guarantee this method’s reliability since we haven’t tested it live yet—proceed at your own risk.
If all else fails, rest assured that the episode will be made available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the following day, September 24, and expect to see clips uploaded to YouTube as well.
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As the Entertainment Editor at Tech Advisor, Hannah Cowton-Barnes excels at covering streaming, film, and television topics. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds, where she also created a website dedicated to geek culture. Her experience includes extensive reviews of gadgets ranging from flagship smartphones to wearables. Outside of her work at Foundry, she’s contributed to various platforms including Polygon, Metro, and Den of Geek. Notably, she is also a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
