Disney Executive Hints at Uncertainty Over Jimmy Kimmel's Future at ABC

Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden declined to confirm or deny reports about Jimmy Kimmel's future at ABC, stating on Thursday that the company is still evaluating the situation. Kimmel's current contract for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" runs through the 2026-27 television season.

During a Bloomberg conference, Walden was asked directly about the potential renewal of Kimmel's contract. "I'm not going to make that announcement here with you today," she responded. Walden acknowledged that late-night television is a challenging broadcast segment, even as she praised Kimmel's performance.

"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 explained. She noted that while Kimmel has a significant viewership on platforms like YouTube, these digital views generate considerably less revenue than traditional television advertising.

Walden emphasized that Disney is working to balance business objectives with its long-standing partnership with Kimmel. "We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership," she said. "I love Jimmy, we have great friendship. He’s close to a number of the people at Disney. We’re trying to work through it and make sense of, what does Jimmy want, what’s the right thing to do, and what’s the right thing for our business."

These comments follow reports from September suggesting that Kimmel's show would conclude upon the expiration of his current contract in May 2027. At the time, an ABC Entertainment spokesperson called such reports "inaccurate" and "purely speculative."

Despite the uncertainty, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has seen a ratings increase. For the 2025-26 season, the show averaged 2 million viewers, a nearly 29% rise from the previous season. It also saw gains in the key demographic of adults aged 18-49, with a 0.18 rating compared to 0.14 the prior year. ABC highlighted this as Kimmel's largest total audience in eight seasons and his strongest performance in the key demographic in four seasons.

Kimmel has been involved in several controversies during his time on the air. In September of last year, ABC temporarily suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following remarks the host made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This suspension led to preemptions by major ABC affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair. ABC reinstated the show less than a week later.

More recently, in April, Kimmel faced criticism for a joke about First Lady Melania Trump. President Trump and the first lady called for his dismissal from ABC, though the network did not suspend him on that occasion. Additionally, Kimmel stated that an interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was held back from broadcast due to concerns over FCC equal-opportunities requirements.