The future of longtime late-night host Jimmy Kimmel at ABC faces renewed uncertainty following recent remarks from a top Disney executive. Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, addressed Kimmel’s tenure during Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Her comments cast doubt on whether "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will continue beyond its current contract, which expires in May 2027.
"We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership." Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
During the conference, Bloomberg managing editor Lucas Shaw directly asked Walden if Kimmel would still be hosting his show a year from now. Walden responded, "I’m certainly not going to make that announcement with you here today." This statement immediately fueled speculation regarding Kimmel’s long-term status at the network, despite his contract running for several more years.
Kimmel has hosted "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" since its debut in January 2003, making him one of the longest-serving hosts in network late-night television. His current contract was extended for just one year in December 2025, a relatively short duration compared to his previous agreements with ABC. This shorter extension had already drawn attention, hinting at potential shifts in the network’s strategy for the competitive late-night landscape.
Walden elaborated on the financial pressures facing the late-night television segment. When pressed on why renewing Kimmel would not be an obvious decision, she stated, "The truth is, it’s a very challenging daypart, late-night." She acknowledged Kimmel's recent improvements in viewership, noting, "That’s not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job and his ratings are up." However, she quickly qualified this success by pointing out that the increase occurs within a broader trend of a shrinking overall television audience for late-night programming. "They’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late-night on broadcast television," Walden explained.
Despite strong performance in traditional metrics, the economics of late-night television are evolving. According to ABC figures cited in a report, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" averaged approximately 2 million viewers during the 2025-26 television season, marking its largest overall audience in eight years. The program also achieved a 0.18 rating among adults aged 18 to 49, making it the highest-rated late-night program in that key demographic for the season. The show also started the 2026-27 season strongly, averaging 2.29 million viewers during premiere week and ranking first among late-night programs in both total viewers and the 18-to-49 demographic.
Walden highlighted that while Kimmel's online clips attract large audiences, digital viewership does not necessarily translate into sufficient revenue to offset the high production costs of a major network talk show. "Millions of people are watching on demand the parts of that show," Walden said. "That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show." This suggests a disconnect between audience engagement on digital platforms and the financial model supporting traditional broadcast programming.
Disney is now grappling with the complex decision of whether continuing the program makes financial sense, while also considering its long-standing relationship with Kimmel. "We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership," Walden affirmed. She also expressed personal admiration for Kimmel, stating, "I love Jimmy. We have a great friendship. He’s close to a number of the people at Disney." Walden indicated that Disney's decision-making process revolves around three key considerations: Kimmel's desires, what is best for him, and what aligns with the company's strategic and financial objectives.
The uncertainty surrounding Kimmel's future is not new. Conflicting reports have emerged previously. Page Six reported in September that Kimmel’s current season would be his last, with no contract renewal, a claim ABC quickly disputed as "inaccurate" and "purely speculative." Conversely, TheWrap reported that ABC and Kimmel had entered discussions about how the program could continue beyond the 2026-27 season, though ABC declined to comment on those reported negotiations.
This situation unfolds amid significant transformations across the late-night television industry. CBS, for instance, ended "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" earlier this year despite strong ratings, citing financial considerations. Kimmel himself acknowledged that Colbert’s departure prompted him to reflect on his own future in late-night. Kimmel’s relationship with ABC has also experienced turbulence, including a temporary suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in September 2025 following controversy over his comments regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show resumed airing less than a week later, and affiliates that had paused carriage eventually reinstated it.
For now, Jimmy Kimmel remains under contract with ABC through May 2027. However, Dana Walden’s public reluctance to commit to his future beyond that date underscores that Disney has yet to finalize its plans for one of television's most enduring late-night hosts.
