Sinclair and Nexstar have both blinked, officially ending their preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! across their ABC affiliates. After weeks of pressure from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders, the two broadcasting giants are now rushing to patch things up with Disney and ABC. But in their hesitation, they may have created a problem bigger than they ever imagined—because Netflix has quietly entered the conversation.
According to multiple industry insiders, the streaming giant is in active talks with Kimmel’s team about a massive global deal that could pull late-night out of its traditional television box once and for all. “Netflix sees this as a way to do for late-night what it did for stand-up comedy—blow it wide open,” one source close to the negotiations revealed.
Sinclair and Nexstar had previously aligned in a behind-the-scenes pact to keep Kimmel off their airwaves after his return sparked backlash. Their coordinated preemption blacked out nearly a quarter of the country, a move that rattled ABC and sent shockwaves through the late-night industry. But when Sinclair relented last week after mounting backlash, Nexstar was forced to follow suit, reluctantly ending the boycott.
The timing couldn’t be worse for both. With Netflix dangling numbers and perks no broadcaster could match—including global syndication, interactive programming options, and a hybrid live-streaming model—Kimmel’s camp now has leverage like never before. His recent ratings surge, combined with viral dominance on YouTube, has proven he doesn’t need traditional stations to reach an audience.
ABC insiders insist that Kimmel remains committed to the network “for now,” but the truth is that the ground is shifting. As one high-level executive put it, “If Nexstar and Sinclair thought they were teaching Kimmel a lesson, all they did was open the door for Netflix. They gave him a reason to look outside broadcast—and now he has all the leverage.”
With Netflix making moves and Hollywood whispering about an unprecedented global late-night expansion, Sinclair and Nexstar’s reversal may be too little, too late. What’s now unfolding could redefine not just Kimmel’s career, but the future of late-night television itself.
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