Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running ABC late-night show is heading toward its final season, according to sources familiar with the network’s plans.
“His contract is not getting extended,” a source familiar with the situation explained. The upcoming season of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” which begins on Tuesday, would conclude with his final episode in May 2027 after 24 years on the air.
Kimmel, 57, has been fronting the show since 2003, making him one of the longest-running network late-night hosts behind only David Letterman and Johnny Carson. He famously takes pride in signing year-to-year deals, a rarity in television that has afforded him unusual flexibility throughout his tenure.
An ABC Entertainment spokesperson pushed back on the report, saying, “[this] information is inaccurate – any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”
The timing lands amid broader upheaval across the late-night landscape. CBS just ended “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert in May after 11 seasons, and Kimmel himself recently announced he would take nights off following the death of his best friend, longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III.
Sources indicate the move is unlikely to stem from Kimmel’s antagonistic relationship with the Trump administration. Kimmel was embroiled in a nasty feud with President Trump last year after he quipped that First Lady Melania Trump “had a glow like an expectant widow,” days before a third assassination attempt on the president. An infuriated Trump immediately called for ABC to fire him. He also criticized the late night host on his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which subsequently found him yanked off the air temporarily under Disney CEO Bob Iger.
But sources say new Disney boss Josh D’Amaro wouldn’t be swayed by politics. “He’s not afraid of the administration… Josh isn’t folding,” the TV insider said.
D’Amaro has reportedly been offering veteran execs at the company early retirement packages as part of restructuring and cost-cutting across the company. Cost reductions may have played a factor in their decision to part ways with Kimmel because, as one ABC source said, “it wouldn’t have anything to do with Trump.”
The news follows a successful four-night guest hosting run by Rosie O’Donnell that ended up being a ratings success. O’Donnell was “in her element,” a source said. So much so that she went viral for mocking her longtime nemesis Trump by performing a parody of traditional Irish song “Danny Boy” she dubbed “Donnie Boy.”
Coincidentally, ABC and Disney sued the FCC the day after O’Donnell’s “Kimmel” debut, accusing it of attacking its free speech by requesting to review ABC’s broadcasting licenses earlier than usual.
ABC signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension earlier this year following his temporary suspension, though that deal now appears set to be his last.