A top Disney executive made a comment on Thursday that only intensified the ongoing speculation about whether or not Jimmy Kimmel‘s late night talk show will end at ABC in 2027. However, she hinted that the show wasn’t working, citing the falling viewership of late night broadcasts.
Kimmel’s late night talk show has aired on ABC, which is owned by Disney, since 2003. On Thursday, October 1, the company’s president and chief creative officer Dana Walden was asked at a Bloomberg conference whether Kimmel would remain at the network past 2027. Page Six reported on September 8 that they’d been told Kimmel’s next season would be his last, and that the show would wrap up in May.
Walden responded to the question by saying, “I’m not going to make that announcement here with you today,” before going on to explain the late night block of the broadcast schedule is “very challenging.”
She continued, “That’s not to say Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up. But they’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late night on broadcast television.”
ABC Previously Called Kimmel Cancelation Report ‘Speculative’
On September 8, 2026, Page Six said in a bombshell report that they’d been told the 2026-2027 season of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be its last.
“His contract is not getting extended,” the outlet quoted an insider as saying. At the time of publishing, Page Six said they’d been told by an ABC Entertainment Spokesperson that any reports about the show’s future are “purely speculative.”
The report said they were told the decision was not political, and suggested “cost reductions” as a likely factor.
On September 11, Puck followed up with a report calling the report of an impending outright cancelation “greatly exaggerated.” Instead, the outlet said Kimmel and the network were in negotiations, but the comedian would have to make major budgets cuts in order for his show to last beyond 2028.
Late Night Broadcast Viewership Has Nosedived
Late night broadcast viewership has significantly dipped in the past few years, with The Hollywood Reporter even predicting this September that “the end of late night TV is getting closer.”
The piece points out that “SNL” is the only late night show that has escaped budget cuts or outright cancelation. CBS canceled “The Late Show” in 2026, three years after axing “The Late Late Show.”
Meanwhile, NBC’s “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon has had its production days reduced.
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Disney President Breaks Her Silence on Rumored Jimmy Kimmel Cancelation