Jimmy Kimmel extends Late Night deal with Disney for one year

Jimmy Kimmel isn’t going anywhere — at least not until after 2027.

The comedian and Disney have reached a new deal that will keep him hosting ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” for another year, according to three people familiar with the matter. Kimmel’s current deal with Disney is set to expire in 2026.

Bloomberg previously reported early details of the pact, which comes after Disney in September removed Kimmel’s show from its schedule for a few days after two major affiliate TV station owners, Nexstar and Sinclair, complained about a monologue in which the comedian discussed Charlie Kirk, the young Republican figure who was assassinated.

The new deal may provide some solace for late-night fans, who have grown concerned about the health of late-night programming in recent months. Paramount Skydance’s CBS will stop running typical late-night programming entirely and will end Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” in May next year. All shows have seen linear audiences decline as more typical TV viewers migrate to streaming venues. Many late-night show producers pay as much attention to YouTube subscriber numbers as they do to traditional TV ratings.

Disney and Kimmel actually signed the one-year extension in the summer, according to one of the people familiar with the matter — before the publicity crisis erupted. Typical talent deals usually last about three years, but Kimmel has considered stepping back from his early hours role in recent years. Since January 2003, he has been the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” making him one of the longest-standing late-night figures currently on screen.

More to come….