Jimmy Kimmel in Talks to Renew Late-Night Show at ABC

Jimmy Kimmel and Disney‘s ABC have entered into negotiations about keeping the host in late-night after the new TV season, a process that might ordinarily be the most normal of business practices, but in the current climate is exceedingly fraught.

Kimmel and executives at the Disney network are having talks about whether he might continue to host “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after the 2026-2027 season, according to a person familiar with the matter. Disney declined to make executives available for comment, and a representative for Kimmel declined to comment as well. James Dixon, the agent who represents Kimmel as well as other late-night notables including Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, could not be reached for immediate comment.

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Kimmel in 2025 moved from a more typical three-year contact to a one-year deal, a sign of not only his long tenure in the role but also the foundering economics of late-night TV, which has ceded not only many of the younger viewers that once flocked to the daypart, but a significant percentage of the ad dollars that followed them. At the same time, shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live” continue to be part of popular culture, and Kimmel has played a key figure as many of the programs waded more directly into political humor and anti-Trump stances.

A single-year contract would give both host and broadcaster more flexibility to change plans if the business of wee-hours TV grew more challenged.

Puck previously reported that Kimmel and the Disney TV network had entered into renewal talks.

The talks are likely to touch upon some difficult realities. Spending on late night television shows hit $209 million in 2025, according to data from Guideline, a tracker of ad expenditures, down from $519.7 million in 2017. Ad spending on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” totaled $51.1 million in 2024, accounting for 21% of all late night spend, according to the firm — a percentage that is well behind that for NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and CBS’ now defunct “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

And yet, Kimmel’s program has gotten a ratings boost since CBS removed Colbert’s show from its schedule in May. That means “Jimmy Kimmel Live” can likely charge more money for the new group it reaches. At the same time, Kimmel’s monologues that rail against President Trump, and decisions to poke the bear by putting Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas on a YouTube stream have invited increased scrutiny from the White House and the Federal Communications Commission.

Disney is at present enmeshed in legal wrangling with the FCC, alleging that the regulator had encroached on ABC’s First Amendment rights by moving to punish it for its news coverage and programming decisions. The FCC ordered Disney to file for renewals for ABC’s eight owned-and-operated stations years ahead of schedule. In filings, Disney has said its applications were made “under protest in response to an unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order.” “The View,” which has thrived in recent years with discussion of politics, has also found itself in the administration’s cross-hairs.

The entertainment giant may be wary of breaking up with its late-night host. Disney executives benched Kimmel for a few days in September of last year. The comedian’s remarks about Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was assassinated, spurred two large station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, to pre-empt his show. Disney executives sought a cooling-off period by halting production of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” but the move also generated swift backlash by free-speech advocates.

Deborah OConnell, the Disney executive who oversees the business operations of its TV and streaming outlets, may seek ways to address the current business terrain. Could Disney ask Kimmel to cut production costs at the show, or ask him to do other kinds of work for ABC, like hosting special events, game shows and other “tentpole” programs that are not tied to “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Indeed, Kimmel has participated in much of this over the years, doing stints as Oscars host as well as presenting “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

That appears to be the way NBC works with Jimmy Fallon, whose Electric Hot Dog production company has taken on many assignment for the NBCUniversal network, including a new game show based on the popular New York Times game Wordle.

Time is running out for many of the current late-night hosts’ contracts. Jon Stewart has agreed to a series of one-year deals to host Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” in recent years, while NBC’s Fallon and Seth Meyers are under contract until 2028.

Doing one more year may hold more appeal for Kimmel, despite the fact that he has been hosting his program on ABC since 2003. If Kimmel can hold on for another cycle, he would still be on TV after the next presidential election — after which President Trump could no longer single out his show.