ABC is setting the record straight—but it has not confirmed that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' will continue beyond 2027.
Earlier report from Page Six claimed the late-night show wouldn't continue, with host Jimmy Kimmel's contract reportedly not being extended beyond May 2027. An ABC spokesperson told the media on 8 September that the reports are 'speculative and, more importantly, inaccurate'.
It can be remembered that ABC suspended production of the show indefinitely on 17 September 2025, two days after Kimmel made controversial remarks about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's killing.
The suspension came after backlash from station groups including Nexstar and Sinclair, which said they would preempt the show on their ABC-affiliated stations. US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr had also publicly suggested that broadcasters could face regulatory consequences over Kimmel's comments.
Disney, ABC's parent company, said at the time that it 'strongly objected' to some of Kimmel's remarks and suspended production to avoid further inflaming a tense situation. The company said it believed some of the comments were 'ill-timed and thus insensitive'.
The decision followed a series of developments involving ABC, its affiliates and the FCC. Nexstar and Sinclair had announced that they would not air the program on their stations, while Carr urged broadcasters to take action against the show.
The sequence of events should not be read as establishing that FCC or affiliate pressure alone caused Disney's decision.
Days later, Disney reversed the decision, announcing on 22 September 2025, that the show would return to ABC the following day. The company said it had held 'thoughtful conversations' with Kimmel before deciding to bring the program back.
In his return monologue, Kimmel clarified that he never intended to 'make light' of Kirk's death or blame any group for it, while criticising the government pressure surrounding his suspension as 'anti-American'. He also invoked free-speech comparisons to comedians Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Howard Stern.
At present, the show has resumed airing after its summer hiatus, returning Tuesday, 8 September 2026, according to ABC. The network confirmed the following guest lineup for his first week back: Andrew Garfield and Joey King on Tuesday, Mariska Hargitay and Kaia Gerber on Wednesday, and Gal Gadot on Thursday. Monday's episode was a repeat, while Friday's guests were listed as TBC (to be confirmed).
How Late Nights Started With Kimmel
Kimmel's tenure at the desk long predates the network drama of the past year. He began his career as a radio host before making the leap to television in 1997, fronting the Comedy Central game show 'Win Ben Stein's Money'. Two years later, he co-founded the production company Jackhole Industries with longtime collaborators, a venture that helped develop several television projects before 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' itself premiered in 2003.
Since debuting on 26 January 2003, the show has grown into ABC's longest-running late-night talk programme, a distinction that places Kimmel among a shrinking circle of hosts who have held a single seat for more than two decades. Beyond his nightly desk duties, Kimmel returned to game shows in April 2020, helping revive 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' in a celebrity-contestant format benefiting charity, an effort that earned him the Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2025.
The show's format has also shifted over the years to keep pace with a changing television landscape. In 2012, ABC announced it would move 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to an earlier 11:35 p.m. time slot. The adjustment marked a turning point for the programme, cementing its place alongside the more established franchises it once trailed.
