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Credit: Disney/ABCDisney is backing Jimmy Kimmel.
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The Walt Disney Company has extended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night hosting career by at least another two years. According to a new report from Variety, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will continue to air new episodes on ABC through 2027.
Kimmel’s previous deal was set to end in 2026.
Jimmy Kimmel found himself at the center of nationwide controversy after making comments about right-wing political commentator and public figure Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Below is an excerpt of the opening monologue Kimmel delivered after the incident:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Kimmel’s comments led to a firestorm of backlash online, culminating in the removal of his show from over 30 ABC stations. Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air just a few days later.
Kimmel has been part of the ABC family since 2003, becoming one of the leading figures in late-night television.
President Trump called for Kimmel’s firing, claiming his show already had “bad ratings.”
However, one source reports that this deal extension was finalized this summer, prior to the controversy involving Charlie Kirk. According to Reuters, the announcement of Kimmel’s 2027 deal was held back out of respect for Stephen Colbert.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was confirmed to air its final episode next summer earlier this year.
Last month, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC plans to launch an investigation into the relationship between affiliates and networks, specifically examining contractual restrictions that penalize stations for preempting shows and those that prevent them from airing competing programming.
“The FCC has an obligation to ensure that local broadcast TV stations meet their public interest obligations,” Carr wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Yet National Programmers operating out of New York & Hollywood are reportedly preventing those broadcasters from serving their local communities—including by punishing them for exercising their right to preempt national programming.”
Nexstar and Sinclair had both pressured the FCC to investigate the relationship between affiliate owners and the parent company. The two companies also believe that Disney’s streaming strategy harms their business and detracts from cable viewing.
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