Overview
- Dana Walden declined to announce Jimmy Kimmel’s future at a Bloomberg Screentime session on Thursday, saying Disney is still “working on it” and will not make the decision public yet.
- Kimmel is contractually tied to Jimmy Kimmel Live! through the 2026–27 season after a one-year extension signed in December 2025.
- ABC has called recent reports that the show will end in 2027 inaccurate and speculative while other outlets report Disney/ABC is seeking roughly 20 percent in production savings as part of renewal talks.
- Walden explained the business dilemma by noting that late-night broadcast audiences have shrunk and the show’s large YouTube and clip viewership — reported at more than 22 million followers on the channel — generates far less direct ad revenue than linear TV.
- The talks take place against a backdrop of cost cuts at Disney, Kimmel’s brief 2025 suspension and heightened FCC scrutiny, a mix that could push the network toward reduced budgets, shorter seasons, more guest hosts, or other changes if a deal is reached.