Jimmy Kimmel and ABC, part of the Disney media empire, have opened talks regarding whether Kimmel will remain at the helm of Jimmy Kimmel Live once the 2026–2027 season wraps up.
Variety’s reporting on the negotiations pushes back on earlier tabloid claims that Kimmel had already made up his mind to depart. Separately, Puck had previously reported that both parties were in discussions over renewal terms, and Deadline has since confirmed that these talks remain active.
So far, neither Disney nor anyone speaking for Kimmel has issued a public statement on the matter.
Last year, Kimmel switched from his usual three-year contract structure to a single-year deal — a change that reflects both his extended run on the show and the mounting financial challenges facing late-night television, a genre that has seen its younger viewership and ad revenue steadily erode.
Figures from ad-tracking company Guideline show that late-night TV advertising spend overall dropped from $519.7 million in 2017 to roughly $209 million by 2025. Within that shrinking pool, Jimmy Kimmel Live brought in $51.1 million in 2024 — about a fifth of the total category spend.
Even so, Puck reports that ABC is pushing for the show to trim its budget going forward. The program reportedly costs close to $100 million annually to produce, putting it in the same range as Stephen Colbert’s now-defunct Late Show.
These renewal discussions arrive almost exactly a year after ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live off air for six days last September, a response to remarks Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk’s death. That suspension sparked considerable pushback from politicians, entertainers, and entertainment-industry unions, before Disney reinstated him following what the company called “thoughtful conversations” with the host.
Since his return, Kimmel has continued to publicly criticize the Trump administration and the FCC, including recent pointed remarks aimed at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.