Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Set to End After 24 Years

Jimmy Kimmel’s future at ABC is facing new scrutiny as his current contract moves closer to its expiration date. A source familiar with the situation reportedly told Page Six that Kimmel’s deal “is not getting extended,” raising the possibility that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will end after the 2026-27 television season.

The comedian has been a fixture on ABC since Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted in 2003. If the program ends when the current deal expires, his run would span nearly 24 years. Kimmel has generally signed shorter-term extensions rather than lengthy contracts. His latest agreement was announced in December 2025 after his previous deal was set to expire in May 2026.

The uncertainty comes after a controversial stretch for the late-night host, including a temporary absence from the air following remarks about the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. During one monologue, Kimmel accused the “MAGA gang” of attempting to portray Kirk’s accused killer as “anything other than one of them.”

Kimmel later said he never intended to blame a specific political group for the attack. The controversy also affected distribution of the show. Nexstar and Sinclair initially chose not to air the program on some of their ABC affiliates before later returning it to their schedules.

A spokesperson for ABC Entertainment described the report as “inaccurate” and said that “any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.” Kimmel’s existing agreement keeps him at the network through May 2027. No official announcement has been made about whether another contract will follow.

Kimmel himself has previously suggested that he has considered what life after late-night television might look like.

Following the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kimmel said the development left him feeling “a little bit defeated by it.”

He also acknowledged that Colbert’s departure made him think about his own career, saying, “in a lot of ways, I feel like I’m looking at my own future.”

Kimmel has said he wants to be thoughtful about how he eventually exits television.

“It’s important to me to be responsible,” he previously said. “I know I could go out in a blaze of glory and get a lot of applause for it, but it would be a very selfish thing to do.”

His longtime producer Erin Irwin has also indicated that retirement has been on his mind, saying Kimmel has “been talking about leaving for a while” and that “he’s tired.”

Despite the new speculation, ABC has not announced an end date for Jimmy Kimmel Live! beyond the expiration of its current agreement.

For now, Kimmel remains under contract through May 2027, while questions about whether ABC’s late-night staple will continue beyond that point remain unanswered.