ABC denies report that Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show will end after next season: 'Inaccurate'

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

Apologies to Matt Damon, but Jimmy Kimmel isn't out of time yet.

On Tuesday, Page Six reported that Jimmy Kimmel Live was set in end in 2027 after 24 seasons, citing a source as saying that Kimmel's contract wasn't being renewed. But ABC is pushing back against this "inaccurate" report.

"This information is inaccurate," an ABC Entertainment spokesperson said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly . "Any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative."

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

After a successful run as co-creator and star of Comedy Central's The Man Show , Kimmel launched Live in 2003 as ABC's first attempt at a late-night talk show in decades. Initially airing at 12:05 a.m., 30 minutes after the start of the well-established Late Show and Tonight Show , Live was bumped up to 11:35 p.m. in 2013.

Now going into his 24th year, Kimmel is ahead of legends David Letterman and Jay Leno in terms of longevity, as he's second only to Johnny Carson for the longest-running late-night talk show, by host, on any network.

But Kimmel's run was almost cut short last year when he was temporarily pulled off the air by ABC after he made comments about Charlie Kirk's killing .

Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis

"We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it," he said at the time.

Following Kimmel's comment, FCC chairman Brendan Carr encouraged local broadcasters to yank the show from air and called for ABC's parent company, Disney, to intervene. Instead, days later, ABC reinstated the show amid a nationwide conversation about the freedom of speech, while local TV station owners Nexstar and Sinclair continued to suspend the show for a brief period.

"I don't think there's anything funny about it," Kimmel said in his return. "I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion and I meant it. I still do."

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, who serves as Live's executive producer, recently revealed their discussions about his possible retirement.

"It definitely appeals to me for the nervous system of the household," McNearney said . "I want him to keep fighting. I feel this sense of desire to not quit, because I think what he's doing is incredibly important right now. Yes, I know we're doing it in a vacuum, but I think it's giving people a feeling that their voice is heard."

Kimmel previously shared that he thought he was going to walk away during the Joe Biden presidency, only to continue on. But last year, rather than offer him the show's typical three-year renewal, ABC extended Kimmel's contract by just one more year, to May 2027.

"Everything is so tumultuous. That seemed to make sense," Kimmel said , adding, "It's definitely not how it's gone in the past."

Kimmel returns to the air on Tuesday night after a summer break that allowed the likes of Jelly Roll and Rosie O'Donnell to make headline-worthy stints as guest hosts.

Reporting synthesized and verified under Nexvoro.tech editorial guidelines. Full primary records referenced via Google News US Entertainment.