Disney Executive Dodges Questions on Jimmy Kimmel's Late-Night Show Future

Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden has offered little clarity on the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following a report that the show may conclude after its current season.

Walden, speaking at Bloomberg's Screentime conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, did not confirm or deny a recent Page Six report indicating that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would end next year. Kimmel's current contract with ABC is set to expire in May 2027.

"It's a very challenging daypart, late-night. That's not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up, but they're up relative to a smaller audience that's watching late night on broadcast television," Walden stated. She acknowledged the show's significant viewership on its YouTube channel, noting that "millions of people are watching, on demand, parts of that show." However, she added, "That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show, so we're trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership."

The Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel has amassed 22.3 million followers, with individual clips frequently garnering millions of views. Walden expressed her positive relationship with Kimmel, stating, "I love Jimmy. We have a great friendship. He's close to a number of the people at Disney, and again, we're trying to work through it and make sense of both."

The Page Six report emerged shortly before the 24th season of Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered. At that time, a source claimed Kimmel's contract would not be extended, though ABC released a statement calling the information "purely speculative."

Kimmel himself has previously hinted at the possibility of ending his tenure. In February 2024, with his contract initially set to expire in May 2026, Kimmel told The Los Angeles Times that he believed it might be his final contract. He later extended his contract in December 2025, several months after the show was temporarily suspended due to controversial comments he made. This extension also occurred following the death of his longtime bandleader and friend, Cleto Escobedo III.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is currently filming a week of shows from the Brooklyn Academy of Music.