Jimmy Kimmel’s Late-Night Show Reportedly Ending After Next Season but ABC Denies Claims

Late-night television has faced significant challenges over the past year, with numerous shakeups, suspensions, and changing audience preferences reshaping the landscape in unexpected ways. Through this turbulence, Jimmy Kimmel has remained a steady presence, hosting his ABC show since 2003 and establishing a run that now ranks second only to Johnny Carson among single-network late-night hosts.

However, this consistent presence is now shrouded in uncertainty. Recent reports have emerged suggesting that Kimmel’s time behind the desk may be coming to an end, raising immediate questions about the future of one of network television’s longest-running franchises.

According to a report first published by Page Six, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ is expected to conclude after the upcoming season, with Kimmel’s contract not being renewed when his current agreement expires in May 2027. TMZ later corroborated similar details, indicating that staff have been discussing the possibility that Kimmel has been quietly exploring other shows and podcasts.

Despite the flurry of reports, ABC quickly moved to refute the claims. A network spokesperson informed E! News that the circulating information is inaccurate, asserting that any discussions regarding the show’s future are purely speculative at this time.

This denial has done little to quell the speculation, particularly given Kimmel’s recent contract structure. Instead of committing to another multi-year deal, Kimmel has reportedly been working on a year-to-year basis and has openly discussed the prospect of stepping away from the show entirely in various interviews over the past months.

This wouldn’t be the first time Kimmel has considered leaving. He signed a three-year deal in 2022 that extended his tenure through 2027, but he has admitted that his commitment to staying on air has faltered more than once since then.

Kimmel has also reduced his workload in other ways, taking summers off in previous seasons, even as he returned for new episodes this week. These changes, combined with his year-to-year contract, have only intensified speculation that a complete exit may be on the horizon.

Regardless of what happens with the show’s future, this current run has already been quite eventful. ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel roughly a year ago after he made comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing, a situation that sparked a nationwide debate about broadcast standards and free speech.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr had urged local broadcasters to drop the show entirely following those remarks, and stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair continued to preempt it even after ABC reinstated Kimmel shortly thereafter. This controversy, coupled with his ongoing public feud with President Trump, has made the past year one of the most tumultuous periods of Kimmel’s late-night career.

For now, Kimmel seems to be proceeding as usual, having kicked off his new season this week and recently winning an Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show for his work on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ this past weekend. Nothing about this recent activity indicates an imminent departure, even as reports about his contract status continue to circulate.

With ABC firmly denying the reports and Kimmel remaining silent on the issue, the true state of his late-night future remains unclear as the new season unfolds. Whether this marks the beginning of the end or simply another round of unfounded speculation will likely become clearer as his current contract approaches its May 2027 expiration.

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