U.S. President Donald Trump’s request has been denied as ABC announced a contract extension for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday. Kimmel, whose current multi-year contract was due to end in May, has now secured an extension that will keep him on air until at least May 2027.
In a turn of events, Kimmel faced uncertainty in September when ABC temporarily suspended his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following controversial remarks made after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. However, after public backlash, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned with stronger viewership numbers.
Despite Trump’s call for ABC to remove Kimmel from the airwaves due to his satirical jabs at the president, the network had already reached an agreement with Kimmel and Disney for the contract extension, which was kept under wraps for some time out of consideration for fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert.
Meanwhile, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, owned by Paramount Skydance, is set to conclude its successful 10-year run in May 2026, citing economic reasons despite being the highest-rated late-night show on the network.
The Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr’s criticism of Kimmel for allegedly misinforming viewers about Kirk’s assassin’s ties to the Trump’s Make America Great Again movement led to Disney briefly pulling Kimmel’s show off the air. Carr is scheduled to testify before the Senate’s commerce committee following bipartisan backlash for pressuring broadcasters over the issue.
Upon his return to the airwaves, Kimmel defended his previous comments, stating that he did not intend to associate Kirk’s murder with any particular group. Kimmel’s show, which has been airing on ABC since 2003, has seen multiple renewals over the years, with this latest extension adding one more year to his contract.
Kimmel, a seasoned host who has also emceed the Academy Awards four times and the Emmy Awards thrice, has yet to clarify whose decision it was to extend his contract for an additional year.
