Jimmy Kimmel Live May End In 2027: ABC Denies Reports Of Show Cancellation Amid Trump Feud
Jimmy Kimmel Live could be nearing the end of its long run on ABC as a new report says that Jimmy Kimmel’s current contract may not be renewed beyond the 2026-27 television season. If true, then in May 2027 (after nearly 24 years on TV) the late night talk show would end if this is confirmed. ABC has hit back strongly against the speculation saying no final decision has been made about the programme’s future.
A Page Six report published on September 9 said that a source familiar with the situation told them Kimmel’s contract wouldn’t be renewed. The news immediately raised questions about whether Jimmy Kimmel Live could be nearing its end after more than two decades on the air. An ABC Entertainment spokesperson denied the report calling claims about the show’s future “speculation.”
“This is wrong information, any reports about the future of the show right now are speculation,” the spokesperson said, according to the report. What that means is that for now viewers shouldn’t take cancellation as confirmed.
Kimmel launched Jimmy Kimmel Live in January 2003 and has been its central host ever since. His long run has made him one of the most recognisable figures in American late night television; it has featured countless Hollywood celebrities, musicians, comedians and politicians over the years and Kimmel has become increasingly known for his political commentary and outspoken criticism of public figures.
Unlike some television hosts who sign long-term contracts, Kimmel has reportedly preferred negotiating his deal year-to-year. That arrangement has given him more flexibility but also made it seem likely he would eventually leave late night television, the comedian has said he’s thought about retirement before.
In 2023 Kimmel floated the idea of retirement on Strike Force Five podcast (a group of prominent late-night hosts who were together during the Hollywood strikes). At the time he said “I had thought about retiring around when writers and actors went on strike but then I found out working is fun” (though later joked that he realised that working was fun).
The latest reports have also reignited the rumours surrounding Kimmel’s relationship with Donald Trump. Kimmel has criticised Trump in his monologues many times; Trump has attacked Kimmel and on several occasions called for him to be taken off television.
Kimmel has also been criticized for remarks about Melania Trump and comments he made after the September 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That caused political backlash (FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel’s remarks), was especially significant because Disney and ABC took Kimmel’s show off air temporarily before he returned to it after talks with the network.
Because Kimmel has been so combative with Trump, some viewers have wondered if political pressure could be behind the reported uncertainty over his contract. But Page Six said people close to the situation “didn’t believe that would be the main reason” for his potential departure, that political disagreements with the Trump administration would be more of a factor.
Instead financial pressure and wider restructuring at Disney may be behind it. ABC is owned by Disney and they have been cutting costs and reorganizing their organisation. The company has reportedly offered early retirement packages to some veteran executives as part of efforts to reduce expenses. These moves have inevitably raised questions about the future of expensive long-running television productions.
The uncertainty surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live comes at a turbulent time for American late night television. CBS cancelled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in May 2026, another seismic shift in the traditional late-night landscape and that has raised questions about whether networks are re-evaluating economics and relevance of conventional late night talk shows.
Jimmy Kimmel Live has also tried guest hosting recently. Rosie O’Donnell got a lot of attention for a four night guest hosting stint (including a viral Trump parody). However there is no confirmation that she was guest hosting because any succession plan was being worked on.
For now Jimmy Kimmel Live is still on ABC and the network has said reports of cancellation shouldn’t be taken as official. If Kimmel does get his contract renewed after the 2026-27 season, the end of the show would be a milestone for American television after nearly 25 years on air but until ABC or Kimmel himself say otherwise it’s speculation rather than fact that 2027 will be the show’s last year.
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