Page Six reported that Jimmy Kimmel Live! could end after its upcoming season in May 2027, following Kimmel’s 24-year run as host.
ABC denied the report, calling claims about the show’s future “purely speculative”.
The report comes nearly a year after ABC temporarily pulled the programme following Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s death and the reaction to his assassination.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! could be heading for a major change after the upcoming season, with uncertainty surrounding the long-running late-night show’s future. The programme is currently expected to continue through the 2026-27 season, which would conclude in May 2027.
Page Six reported that the show is expected to end after the upcoming season, citing a source who said Jimmy Kimmel’s contract would not be extended. ABC, however, has denied the report, calling it “inaccurate” and saying reports about the show’s future are “purely speculative”.
What Did The Report Say About Jimmy Kimmel’s Show?
Page Six said that Kimmel's contract is not being extended. Kimmel has hosted the show since 2003. He is known for signing year-to-year deals.
ABC confirmed to People that Jimmy Kimmel Live has not been canceled.
People quoted a spokesperson for ABC Entertainment as saying, “This information is inaccurate - any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”
The clarification comes almost a year after Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night programme were placed on an indefinite hiatus. In September 2025, ABC took the show off the air after Kimmel addressed the death of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Kimmel had expressed his condolences to Kirk’s family on social media before making his remarks on the programme.
Kimmel had made several comments about the reaction to Kirk's assassination on his show. He said that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
"Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely," a spokesperson for the Disney-owned network said in a statement. The remarks followed after Nexstar, one of the biggest owners of ABC-affiliated TV stations in the US, stated that it would not broadcast 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for "the foreseeable future".
Following the announcement, United States president Donald Trump praised the decision terming it as “Great News for America”. He made the comments on his Truth social platform stating "Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.”
"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible," he added.
Kimmel had had also criticised Trump’s mourning of Kirk’s death. "This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish," said Kimmel.
