Jimmy Kimmel future in doubt? Walden admits 1 huge hurdle
“The truth is, it’s a very challenging daypart.” That is how Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden framed the Jimmy Kimmel future on Thursday, Oct. 1, during an onstage interview at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Walden praised the host but would not say whether “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will continue past its current deal. Kimmel signed a one-year extension in December 2025 that keeps him hosting through the 2026-27 season.
Walden: Ratings up, but the audience is smaller
“That’s not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up,” Walden said, according to THR. “But they’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late night on broadcast television.”
She also pointed to the show’s online reach. Millions of people watch clips on YouTube, Walden told Variety, but “that is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show.” THR noted that those views bring in a fraction of what on-air advertising earns.
Walden described the Jimmy Kimmel future talks as personal as well as financial. “I love Jimmy; we have great friendship. He’s close to a number of the people at Disney,” she said. “We’re trying to work through it and make sense of, what does Jimmy want, what’s the right thing to do, and what’s the right thing for our business.”
Why the Jimmy Kimmel future is still unannounced
When Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw asked whether Kimmel would be sticking around, Walden deflected. “I’m not going to make that announcement here with you today,” she said. “Again, I’m letting Casey make the news.”
That was a callback to her opening joke that she was keeping the seat warm for Casey Bloys, the head of HBO and HBO Max, who she said was “bringing the real news.” THR described Bloys as the presumptive front-runner to run streaming at the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery once that merger closes.
Speculation about the Jimmy Kimmel future began with an early September Page Six report claiming Kimmel’s contract would not be renewed when it expires in May 2027, his 24th year on the air. ABC denied it, calling the report “inaccurate” and saying “any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative,” according to Variety. THR added that other outlets have reported ABC is seeking significant budget cuts to keep the show going.
A year of pressure on Kimmel
The Jimmy Kimmel future question follows a turbulent stretch. About a year ago, ABC pulled the show “indefinitely” after Nexstar Media said it would preempt it over Kimmel’s on-air jokes about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Variety recalled. FCC chair Brendan Carr also threatened action against ABC at the time. Read more about the FCC’s scrutiny of “The View” and Kimmel.
Broadcast late night has already shrunk, which raises the stakes of the Jimmy Kimmel future decision. CBS ended “The Late Show” this spring, and you can revisit Stephen Colbert’s final week.
Walden on ‘Moana’
Walden also addressed the live-action “Moana,” which made $323 million worldwide against a $250 million budget, per Variety. She said it was hurt by arriving about 18 months after “Moana 2.” Our earlier story covered the “Moana” box office slump.