Earlier this year, Jimmy Kimmel’s future at ABC was very much in question when the late-night talk show host was suspended indefinitely after some comments he made following the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Now, it sounds like his future with the network is assured for at least another year.
While the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live! was very much uncertain just a few weeks ago, it sounds like ABC has decided to renew Kimmel’s contract with the network through May of 2027, locking him in for over a year.
ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel Live
Back in September, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended indefinitely by ABC and parent company Disney due to comments that the network deemed to be “insensitive.” After intense backlash, the network made the decision to resume the show a little less than a week later.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney wrote in a statement back in September. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Since then, Kimmel has continued his show, though not every ABC provider immediately allowed it to air in their region.
ABC Makes Decision on Jimmy Kimmel
While Kimmel’s fate at ABC was uncertain at best during that time, it sounds like the network has made the decision to extend his contract through the spring of 2027.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported that ABC and Kimmel had agreed to a contract extension that would keep him at the network through May of 2027. According to the report, Kimmel told his staff on Monday, but the deal had not yet officially been announced.
Bloomberg reports that the deal was actually agreed to “months ago,” but that the two sides delayed announcing the news out of respect for fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert after CBS announced the decision to cancelThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
It’s not clear when the deal will officially be announced, but it seems like Kimmel will be sticking around at ABC despite the tumultuous year.
