Overview
- Music producer Jim Pitt relayed the change to industry contacts in recent weeks, ABC has not offered an explanation, and the show's runtime is not expected to change.
- The target of roughly two performances a week is a guideline rather than a strict cap, with some episodes likely to feature no musical act.
- This week remains an exception with three bookings: Molly Tuttle, Debbie Gibson sitting in with house band The Cletones, and HUNTR/X featuring EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.
- Late-night musical bookings have plunged from around 800 annually in 2011–2013 to about 200 in 2023, according to Consequence of Sound.
- The shift follows recent turbulence for the program and comes after Kimmel confirmed his contract now runs through May 2027.