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When CBS opted to cancel The Late Show rather than extend Stephen Colbert’s contract or even continue the late-night series with another host, all eyes were on the other broadcast networks. Would ABC opt to cancel Jimmy Kimmel Live?
Then Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, although quickly reinstated, due to remarks against President Donald Trump. That has led to a constant back and forth between Kimmel and Trump, but it didn’t stop ABC from renewing Kimmel’s contract for another year.
Jimmy Kimmel Live will continue through to May 2027 at least. The question then is whether it will continue after that.
Jimmy Kimmel Is In Uncertain Territory
When speaking with Vulture, Kimmel admitted that he doesn’t know what the future has in store for Jimmy Kimmel Live. Usually, the contract renewals are for three years, and this is the first time that he was only offered a one-year contract.
He took that deal, but it does mean that he’s in uncertain and untreaded territory. At the same time, he understands why ABC did this, and it’s not necessarily anything to do with the back-and-forth between the late-night host and the current sitting president.
“Everything is so tumultuous. That seemed to make sense. It’s definitely not how it’s gone in the past.”
Late-night TV viewership has declined in recent years. This was once must-see viewing, and now more and more people are turning to streaming the YouTube to catch clips the following day. People just don’t want to stay up so late if they don’t need to.
Jimmy Kimmel Live May Not Have Much Longer
Kimmel’s longtime producer, Erin Irwin, has also admitted that Kimmel is getting tired. She would like to see the show continue on through the 2028 election, which is in just more than two years, and it would arguably mean extending his contract to May 2029. This could be something that he’s interested in doing, as long as he has the energy for it.
She doubts that he does, though. She shared that Jimmy is “tired.”
The whole nature of late-night TV has changed over the years. There used to be five shows a week, and now all the broadcast networks have dropped to just four nights of new episodes per week. The number of musical guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live has also dropped to an average of just two a week, which means more time for Kimmel to chat with guests.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the loss of The Late Show shakes things up for both ABC and NBC in the 2026–2027 TV season.
