For more than two decades, Jimmy Kimmel has been a familiar face of American late-night television. Now, just as Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns for another season and reaches a major milestone, a report has suddenly raised questions about how much longer the show could remain on ABC.

The timing is striking, but so is the response. A September 8 report claimed Kimmel’s long-running programme could end in 2027. ABC, however, has pushed back directly, creating a situation in which one of late-night television’s biggest shows is surrounded by uncertainty — but not a confirmed cancellation.

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Why are people saying Jimmy Kimmel Live! could end in 2027?

The speculation began with a September 8 report from Page Six claiming that the upcoming season of Jimmy Kimmel Live! could be the show’s final one.

According to a source familiar with the situation cited by Page Six:

“His contract is not getting extended.”

The report said the season would begin in September 2026 and conclude in May 2027. If that happens, it would bring Kimmel’s run on the programme to approximately 24 years.

Kimmel has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since its debut in January 2003, making him one of the longest-serving late-night hosts in American television.

There is an important contractual detail behind the speculation. Kimmel has historically preferred year-to-year contracts, giving him considerably more flexibility than the longer multi-year agreements commonly used in television.

That means a contract reaching the end of a particular season does not automatically mean that a cancellation has been decided. In this case, the question of Kimmel’s future with ABC has become a major subject of speculation rather than a formally announced departure.

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ABC denies that the show’s future has been decided

The most important development came after the Page Six report appeared.

ABC Entertainment directly disputed the report, with a spokesperson saying:

“[This] information is inaccurate — any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”

That statement changes the status of the story considerably.

As of September 9, 2026, ABC has not officially confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will end in May 2027. There is also no official announcement that Kimmel will leave ABC at the end of the upcoming season.

ABC’s own programming information continues to identify Jimmy Kimmel Live! as an active weeknight programme. Its official show page continues to list episodes and guests for September 2026 and describes the programme as its Emmy-winning late-night talk show.

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What is confirmed and what remains speculation?

Detail	Current status
Jimmy Kimmel Live!	Still airing on ABC
Kimmel’s return	Confirmed for the new season
4,000th episode	Recently reached
Page Six report	Claims the contract will not be extended
Potential ending	Reported possibility for May 2027
ABC’s response	Says the information is inaccurate and speculative
Confirmed cancellation	No official announcement
Confirmed 2027 departure	None
Cost-cutting as a reason	Raised by sources, not officially confirmed
Trump’s political pressure as the reason	Not established by current reporting

The distinction is crucial: the claim that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will definitely end in 2027 is not a confirmed cancellation. At present, it remains a reported possibility that ABC has publicly disputed.

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Jimmy Kimmel returns as the show reaches 4,000 episodes

The uncertainty emerged at a particularly notable moment for the programme.

Kimmel returned to his hosting duties following the show’s summer break and a period during which several personalities stepped in as guest hosts.

Among those who hosted episodes during the summer were Rosie O’Donnell, Jelly Roll, Tiffany Haddish, Anthony Anderson and Colman Domingo, along with others.

Kimmel’s return also marked the show’s 4,000th episode, a major milestone for a programme that has been on the air since January 2003.

That achievement arrives during a period when the traditional late-night television business is facing significant change. Kimmel has now spent more than two decades behind the desk, while broadcast television continues to deal with changing viewing habits and increased competition from digital platforms.

ABC’s current listings continue to show Jimmy Kimmel Live! airing on weeknights, with episodes available through ABC and Hulu.

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Rosie O’Donnell’s guest-hosting run adds another twist

Rosie O’Donnell’s recent guest-hosting stint has also become part of the conversation surrounding the programme.

O’Donnell completed a four-night guest-hosting run shortly before Kimmel’s return. According to the Page Six report, her appearance performed well in the ratings and attracted substantial online attention, particularly because of politically charged comedy aimed at President Donald Trump.

A source described O’Donnell as:

“in her element”

One of the most widely discussed moments involved O’Donnell parodying the traditional Irish song “Danny Boy” and reworking it as “Donnie Boy”, a reference to Trump.

Her guest-hosting run became another example of the political comedy and commentary increasingly associated with Kimmel’s programme, particularly during an unusually turbulent period for American late-night television.

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Could Donald Trump’s feud with Jimmy Kimmel be connected?

Kimmel’s long-running political relationship with Trump has inevitably become part of the discussion.

Kimmel has repeatedly criticised Trump on his programme, while Trump has repeatedly attacked Kimmel and other late-night hosts.

Earlier in 2026, Kimmel faced another confrontation with Trump after making a controversial joke about first lady Melania Trump. Page Six reported that Kimmel had joked that Melania:

“had a glow like an expectant widow”

The joke came shortly before a third assassination attempt against the president, and Trump responded angrily by calling for ABC to fire Kimmel.

The dispute followed an even more consequential confrontation in 2025, when Kimmel’s comments concerning the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk contributed to a temporary suspension of the programme.

The show was subsequently brought back to the air, but the incident intensified broader questions about the relationship between political pressure, broadcasters and late-night comedy.

Still, the current reporting does not establish that Trump’s political pressure is responsible for any potential change to Kimmel’s future.

In fact, sources cited by Page Six specifically argued that any possible decision would not be driven by Trump.

One television insider said of Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro:

“He’s not afraid of the administration … Josh isn’t folding.”

Another ABC source described the possible financial motivation by saying:

“it wouldn’t have anything to do with Trump.”

These remain statements from unnamed sources rather than an official explanation from ABC or Disney.

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Disney’s restructuring puts the show’s finances under scrutiny

Another part of the speculation involves the broader restructuring taking place at Disney.

Josh D’Amaro became Disney’s chief executive in March 2026 after succeeding longtime CEO Bob Iger. Disney has been reorganising its entertainment operations while placing an emphasis on financial discipline and long-term growth.

According to the Page Six report, D’Amaro had been offering early-retirement packages to veteran executives as part of wider restructuring and cost-cutting efforts.

That corporate backdrop has led to speculation that the economics of maintaining a major broadcast late-night production could be more relevant to Kimmel’s future than his political disputes.

However, there is an important limitation.

Neither ABC nor Disney has officially confirmed that cost-cutting has produced a decision to end Jimmy Kimmel Live! At this stage, financial restructuring should therefore be treated as a possible factor raised by sources, rather than an established explanation for a cancellation.

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ABC and Disney face a separate FCC dispute

The uncertainty around Kimmel’s programme is also unfolding while Disney and ABC face scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission.

In April 2026, the FCC ordered Disney and ABC to pursue early renewal of licences for eight ABC television stations. The FCC said the early review was connected to ongoing investigations involving the stations.

The agency subsequently established procedures for considering the early renewal applications.

According to the FCC’s official documentation, the stations would not ordinarily have been due for renewal until 2028 at the earliest. However, federal rules allow the agency to call for early renewal when it determines that doing so is necessary for an investigation.

Disney and ABC have challenged the government’s actions in court, arguing that the FCC’s treatment of the network raises concerns involving free speech and regulatory pressure.

The dispute has attracted particular attention because it developed amid Trump’s public criticism of ABC and Kimmel.

But the existence of the FCC dispute does not establish that it has anything to do with Kimmel’s contract or the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

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The Late Show ending makes Kimmel’s future even more significant

Kimmel’s situation comes as the American late-night television landscape is already changing dramatically.

CBS ended The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026 after more than a decade with Colbert as host and more than three decades of the broader Late Show franchise.

The final episode aired on May 21, 2026, officially ending Colbert’s run and bringing another major broadcast late-night institution to a close.

That development has naturally intensified attention on the remaining major network late-night programmes, including Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

The genre faces pressure from changing viewing habits, declining traditional television audiences, digital competition and shifting advertising economics. Shows that once relied heavily on viewers watching at a fixed late-night hour now compete with YouTube clips, streaming services, social media and other forms of on-demand entertainment.

That makes Kimmel’s situation bigger than one television host.

His future is being watched as part of a broader transformation in the television industry — one in which even long-established late-night institutions are facing questions about their place in the modern media landscape.

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What is actually confirmed about Jimmy Kimmel Live! right now?

As of September 9, 2026, the confirmed picture is relatively straightforward.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains on the air, and Kimmel has returned to hosting duties for the new season. ABC continues to list the programme on its official website, and the show has recently reached its 4,000th-episode milestone.

At the same time, Page Six has reported that Kimmel’s contract will not be extended beyond the upcoming season and that the season could conclude in May 2027 after roughly 24 years on television.

But ABC has explicitly rejected the accuracy of that information and described reports about the show’s future as “purely speculative.”

There is currently no official ABC announcement confirming the programme’s cancellation. There is also no confirmed announcement that Kimmel will leave ABC in 2027.

Reports have raised Disney’s cost-cutting and corporate restructuring as possible factors, but neither ABC nor Disney has officially identified those issues as the reason for a potential departure.

Likewise, Kimmel’s political feud with Trump remains part of the surrounding context, but current reporting does not establish that political pressure is responsible for any possible future change.

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Conclusion: Is Jimmy Kimmel Live! really ending in 2027?

For now, the answer is not confirmed.

The Page Six report has raised a serious question about whether Kimmel’s 24-year run on ABC could come to an end after the 2026–27 season, potentially making May 2027 the show’s final month.

But ABC has directly disputed the report, saying the information is inaccurate and that reports about the programme’s future are purely speculative.

Until ABC, Kimmel or another authoritative party confirms a cancellation or departure, the idea that Jimmy Kimmel Live! is definitely ending in 2027 should be treated as premature.

For now, Kimmel remains the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! continues to air on ABC.

Research Disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research and review of the sources provided for this story, including the Page Six report concerning Jimmy Kimmel’s reported contract situation, ABC’s official Jimmy Kimmel Live! programme information and episode listings, The Walt Disney Company’s information concerning Josh D’Amaro’s leadership, the Federal Communications Commission’s official documentation concerning the early renewal of Disney/ABC station licences, and CBS’s official information concerning The Late Show with Stephen Colbert finale.

The article reflects the information available as of September 9, 2026 and preserves the distinction between officially confirmed information, reported claims and speculation. Reports that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will end in 2027 remain unconfirmed, and ABC has publicly disputed the claim. The show’s future may change as contract and programming decisions develop.

Sources

• Page Six — original report on Jimmy Kimmel’s reported 2027 exit
• ABC — official Jimmy Kimmel Live! show page and current episode listings
• The Walt Disney Company — Josh D’Amaro leadership announcement
• Federal Communications Commission — official notice on early renewal of Disney/ABC licenses
• CBS — official The Late Show with Stephen Colbert series finale listing

Featured Image Credit: Erin Scott / Public domain