Now Streaming: ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ pulled by ABC after FCC pressure

“Now Streaming” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.

PLAYING THIS WEEKEND: Among this weekend’s most notable new content is Netflix (NFLX) crime thriller series “Black Rabbit,” starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ (AAPL) subscribers can catch the new season of drama series “The Morning Show,” while Amazon Prime Video (AMZN) users can watch new season of satirical superhero series “Gen V,” a spinoff of “The Boys.” Additionally, HBO Max (WBD) subscribers can watch his superhero film “Superman,” which released in theaters in July.

ABC/KIMMEL: On Wednesday, Nexstar Media (NXST) (DIS) will preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the foreseeable future beginning with that night’s show. The move comes after Kimmel’s remarks on the show earlier in the week about people on the right’s response to the killing of political activist Charlie Kirk, where he said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this.” Nexstar said it “strongly objects” to the comments and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.

Before Nexstar’s move, Federal Communications Communications Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick,” and even noted that Disney has a license granted by the FCC, which comes with it an “obligation to operate in the public interest.” “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr said in an interview on Benny Johnson’s podcast. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” The Fly also notes that Nexstar agreed to acquire Tegna (TGNA) for $22 per share in cash last month, with the deal still subject to regulatory approvals, including the FCC.

Following Nexstar’s decision, Disney’s ABC said it removed “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its schedule “indefinitely.” In response, President Trump released a statement calling for the resignation of FCC Chair Brendan Carr. “He has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration,” the statement reads. “FCC Chair Brendan Carr should resign immediately. Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the First Amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values. Media companies, such as the one that suspended Mr. Kimmel, have a lot to explain. The censoring of artists and cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice. It may also be part of a corrupt pay-to-play scheme. House Democrats will make sure the American people learn the truth, even if that requires the relentless unleashing of congressional subpoena power. This will not be forgotten.”

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Kimmel had planned to address comments made by Carr on his show Wednesday night, but co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden and other senior executives briefed on his plan believed his approach could make the situation worse, people familiar with their conversations said. Additionally, due to threatening emails received by staff on Kimmel’s show, Walden and Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to temporarily take “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air, sources added.

WARNER BROS./PARAMOUNT: Following last week’s reports that Paramount Skydance (PSKY) was preparing a majority cash bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said that such a deal would be a “dangerous concentration of power over our media and news” and that the transaction “should be blocked.” Meanwhile, CNBC’s David Faber reported around the same time that such a bid may take longer than anticipated.

Additionally, Faber later (ORCL) co-founder and the father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, while the rest could be paid in stock.

PRIME VISION FOR SOCCER: On Monday, the Financial Times reported that Amazon intends to launch a new feed for live soccer matches featuring augmented reality data graphics and real-time tactical analysis. Prime Vision would make its debut in the U.K. on Tuesday night during the first round of UEFA Champions League games, with the alternative feed featuring automated graphics such as players’ names, running speeds, and jump heights overlaid on the live stream.

NETFLIX BOXING: Netflix said that over 41.4M viewers tuned in over the weekend to watch the Supper Middleweight Championship boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. The main event scored an estimated average minute audience of 36.6M live+SD viewers from opening to closing bell, per VideoAmp and Netflix. Viewing continued into the weekend bringing an estimated AMA total of 41.4M viewers (Live+1), making it the most-viewed men’s championship boxing match this century. In the US, an estimated AMA of 20.3M viewers tuned in live+SD to the main event, and the fight peaked at over 24M concurrent streams.

LOOP UPGRADE: Loop Capital upgraded Netflix to Buy from Hold with a price target of $1,350, up from $1,150. The firm cited “exceptional” engagement on Netflix’s platform in Q3 and the company’s “strong” Q4 content slate for the upgrade. Loop upped its long-term margin assumptions for Netflix, saying each dollar of content is generating more revenue, which powers higher earnings and free cash flow.

STOCK PLAYS: Other publicly traded companies in the space include Fox Corporation (FOX), AMC Networks (AMCX), Apple (AAPL), Comcast (CMCSA), and FuboTV (FUBO).