The conservative-leaning broadcaster that briefly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its stations has posted an ugly earnings report just weeks after the controversial decision.
Sinclair Broadcast Group said revenue for the third quarter fell 16 percent to $773 million, swinging from a $94 million profit last year to a $1 million net loss. A tough quarter saw advertising revenue plunge 26 percent year-over-year to $321 million, with political ads collapsing to just $6 million, compared to $138 million in the same quarter of 2024.
CEO Chris Ripley said a dispute between “media giants” has impacted Sinclair’s ABC stations. Ripley said local broadcasters are “caught in the middle” of a scrap between Disney and YouTube TV, which has blacked out ABC and ESPN for millions of viewers.
Disney owns both ABC and ESPN, while YouTube TV—owned by Google—carries local ABC stations as part of its live-TV streaming package. On an earnings call, Ripley railed against Disney and Google, calling their standoff, which started last month, an “antitrust issue,” according to Variety.
He argued that local broadcasters like Sinclair are “caught in the middle” of distribution disputes and have “no say” over whether their content reaches viewers.
Sinclair, which owns or operates 185 stations in 85 markets, is now in a “strategic review” of its broadcast assets and lobbying for looser ownership limits at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Ripley said he expects the agency to raise or scrap its national cap in 2026, paving the way for more consolidation.
The Daily Beast has approached Sinclair for comment.
The company made no mention of the Kimmel boycott, which briefly dominated headlines in September after Sinclair demanded the late-night host apologize for remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer. Despite this, he company’s decision to pull one of late-night’s biggest shows didn’t help appearances.
ABC suspended the show for several days before reinstating it; Sinclair’s affiliates resumed airing it soon after. A senior executive said the decision was rooted in its “fiduciary responsibility to deliver the truth,” but critics argued that Sinclair cowed to pressure from FCC chair Brendan Carr, as part of a wider stamping down of dissent towards the Trump administration.
Jimmy Kimmel struck a careful balance between contrition and his trademark dry wit when he returned to the air. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” Kimmel told viewers, his voice catching as he addressed the uproar that sidelined Jimmy Kimmel Live! for days.
The host, 57, had opened to a standing ovation before turning serious. “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual—that was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make,” he said.
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