The vibes for late-night TV are looking pretty mid right now, and Jimmy Kimmel is squarely in the middle of it. Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden went on record at a Bloomberg conference Thursday, refusing to confirm if the network plans to renew the host's contract when his current deal ends after the 2026-27 season.
The money problem
While Kimmel is currently pulling down an estimated $16 million a year, the math is getting messy. Walden pointed out that even though Kimmel’s ratings are actually up—the show averaged 2 million viewers last season, a roughly 29% increase from the year prior—it’s still a 'very challenging daypart.'
The issue? The audience is smaller than it used to be. While Kimmel’s digital views on platforms like YouTube are solid, those clicks don't bring in the same massive revenue as traditional broadcast ads. 'That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show,' Walden noted.
What’s next?
Back in September, reports surfaced that Kimmel’s show might hit the end of the road once his deal expires in May 2027. An ABC spokesperson dismissed those claims as 'purely speculative,' but Walden’s comments definitely didn't shut the door on the possibility. She emphasized that Disney is currently trying to figure out 'what’s the right thing for our business' while balancing their long-term partnership with the host.
Despite the noise, Disney insists the potential exit wouldn't be about Kimmel’s history of political controversies, which have included public beefs with the Trump administration and backlash from affiliate owners like Nexstar and Sinclair. For now, the future of the desk is TBD.
Why it matters
Traditional late-night TV is struggling to stay profitable in a world where streaming and social media clips dominate. For your wallet and your screen time, this signals a massive shift: if even a host with rising ratings can’t guarantee a renewal, the legacy broadcast model is officially in a 'main character energy' transition toward whatever comes next.
