Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show suspension has cost Disney a whopping amount of money.
If you didn’t know, Jimmy Kimmel’s show has been on hold ever since the host brought up the assassination of Charlie Kirk during an episode of his show last week.
Kimmel also went on to note how conservatives responded to it, specifically Donald Trump.
After the episode aired, ABC suspended the show ‘indefinitely’, and while some viewers were happy to see the back of him thanks to his comments, others were less than pleased.
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While Disney announced that Kimmel’s show would be returning tonight (23 September), those plans have somewhat been halted after ABC affiliate companies have refused to air it.
Sinclair Broadcasting Group, an American media conglomerate that owns various stations affiliated with ABC, have announced that despite Kimmel’s return, they will not be airing his newest episode on their stations.
In a statement published by the company yesterday, they stated that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be ‘replaced’ with news coverage, and that they are in discussions with ABC.
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"Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the broadcaster said in a statement on social media.
"Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return."
This will result in losing millions of viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight, which will therefore result in Disney losing out on money, as well as credibility, as per a brand expert.
Crystal Gorges told FOX Business: "ABC and Disney are already under a microscope with the FCC pressure being so public, so viewers can easily connect the dots and interpret a suspension as political compliance rather than a programming decision.”
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He said the ‘financial danger isn’t so much advertisers walking away as it is alienating loyal viewers who see it as censorship'.
"Loyal viewers who tune in night after night, or who pay for Disney/ABC bundle subscriptions, could feel like their voices are being silenced," he added. "That sense of alienation can quickly snowball into organized opposition, social media movements, or even subscriber cancellations."
So, what has Disney lost?
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Market Watch reported Disney stocks have lost 2.31 percent in the last five days following the news of Kimmel’s cancellation, and according to Al Jazeera, Walt Disney Co. lost close to $5 billion from its stock market value overnight as reports reveal Kimmel's show won't air via affiliate stations.
As per Gorges, money lost is indicative of people losing trust in the company.
He said the ‘long-term monetary risk comes from the ripple effects of being seen as caving to outside pressure’, such as politics.
This comes after Sinclair called for Kimmel to' issue a direct apology to the Kirk family' and also make a 'meaningful personal donation' to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA after his comments about the man accused of killing the political activist.
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UNILAD reached out to Disney for comment.
Topics: Jimmy Kimmel, US News, Disney, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump
Britt Jones