ABCJimmy Kimmel is back on air tonight after his controversial suspension, and if you want to stream it live, there’s one way you could watch it for free.
Kimmel was pulled off air “indefinitely” after his comments about Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist who was shot and killed at his ‘American Comeback Tour’ at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
The late-night host claimed the “MAGA gang [was] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they [could] to score political points from it.”
The ensuing backlash, both from those accusing ABC (and Disney, its parent company) of oppressing free speech and conservatives who disagreed with Kimmel, has dominated the news cycle for an entire week. Tonight, he’ll return to our screens.
How to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live for free tonight
YouTube: Jimmy Kimmel Live!Jimmy Kimmel Live will air at 11:35pm ET tonight (September 23). If you don’t have cable, you can watch it for free with a Hulu free trial.
Specifically, you’ll need to sign up for the package that includes Hulu and Live TV, which is $82.99 per month. It offers a three-day trial, so if you sign up tonight, you can watch ABC live for three days as well as other Hulu programming (like the Alien: Earth finale).
However, if you don’t want to keep your subscription, you need to cancel it before the free trial period ends, or else you’ll be charged the full amount for a month.
You can also sign up for a free trial to Fubo or DirecTV.
Why isn’t Jimmy Kimmel on my TV tonight?
While Jimmy Kimmel Live is returning to ABC tonight, it won’t be available via every ABC affiliate.
The Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns nearly 40 affiliate stations, announced that it plans to preempt Kimmel’s show and replace it with news coverage. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company said in a statement.
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Similarly, Nexstar Media Group hasn’t confirmed if its affiliates will broadcast the show. If your territory is served by either company, you’ll need to watch Jimmy Kimmel via a streaming service like Hulu or Fubo.
In a statement announcing Kimmel’s return, an ABC spokesperson said: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last [few] days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Until it airs, find out more about whether Disney is losing money after Kimmel’s suspension.