Jimmy Kimmel is staying put in late night — at least for now.
ABC has signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension that keeps “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on the air through May 2027, Kimmel announced during Monday night’s monologue. The late-night host’s previous deal was set to expire in May 2026, according to The Guardian.
The extension means Kimmel, who has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003, will continue his more than two-decade run as one of the longest-tenured figures in late-night TV.
Kimmel jokes about ‘another no-talent year’
During Monday night’s taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” he told the audience he had renewed his deal, joking that it was “renewed till May of 2027 or until the world ends, whichever comes first.”
Kimmel also poked fun at himself in an Instagram post, calling the extension “another no-talent year.”
Reuters reported that the one-year extension with Disney-owned ABC was quietly agreed to months ago but announced this week, as networks continue to rethink the economics of late-night television.
Extension follows high-profile suspension
The contract decision comes after a turbulent stretch for Kimmel and ABC. In September, Disney and ABC temporarily pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air following Kimmel’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC ultimately reinstated Kimmel days later, and his ratings improved after his return.
Kimmel defended his comments when he came back on the air, saying he did not intend to trivialize Kirk’s death while also framing the controversy as a free-speech issue.
A shrinking late-night field
Kimmel’s new deal also arrives as some of his competitors exit the stage. CBS announced in July that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end in May 2026 and that the network will retire “The Late Show” franchise entirely, calling the move a “purely financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
Colbert’s show — long the top-rated program in its time slot — will air new episodes through May 2026 but will not be replaced by another traditional late-night talk show.
Kimmel himself has previously suggested that he was nearing the end of his late-night run, telling the Los Angeles Times in 2024 that he thought his current contract through 2026 might be his last.
The new one-year extension is shorter than his normal extensions — which have generally been a three-year extension in the past, per The New York Times.
Whether he continues past 2027 is yet to be seen, but for now, viewers and critics alike will have Kimmel for a little bit longer.