Overview
- ABC/Disney finalized a one-year extension that keeps Jimmy Kimmel Live! on air through May 2027, and Kimmel confirmed the news on Instagram.
- Reporting indicates the agreement was reached months ago with the announcement delayed out of respect for Stephen Colbert’s planned May 2026 exit.
- The extension follows a brief September suspension after Kimmel’s monologue about reactions to Charlie Kirk’s killing drew an FCC rebuke and pre-emption threats from major affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair.
- Kimmel’s return delivered a surge of 6.3 million TV viewers and more than 26 million online views of his opening monologue, according to Disney and Nielsen.
- President Trump has repeatedly urged ABC to take Kimmel off the air, late-night viewership continues to shift to digital platforms, and some industry sources view the short deal as a possible final chapter for the show.