Is Jimmy Kimmel leaving ABC? Disney’s Dana Walden won’t say

Disney’s top creative executive stopped short Thursday of saying whether ABC will keep Jimmy Kimmel on the air past next spring, calling late night a difficult business even as the host’s ratings climb.

Dana Walden, Disney’s president and chief creative officer, was asked about Mr. Kimmel’s future at Bloomberg Screentime in Los Angeles. She described late night as a “very challenging daypart,” saying Mr. Kimmel’s ratings are up but against a shrinking broadcast audience. She added that Disney is trying to make sense of the business while honoring its long partnership with the host. She also said the show’s large YouTube following generates only a fraction of the revenue that broadcast advertising does.

Mr. Kimmel’s contract was extended by one year in December, keeping him on the air through the 2026-27 season and until at least May 2027.

Ms. Walden’s remarks came less than a month after Page Six reported that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would end when that deal expires, citing a source who said the contract would not be extended. An ABC Entertainment spokesperson called the report inaccurate and “purely speculative.”

The question of Mr. Kimmel’s future comes as the show posts some of its best numbers in years. Disney said in June that the program was averaging about 2 million viewers season to date, up 24% from comparable weeks a year earlier. It called the season the show’s most-watched in eight years.

Mr. Kimmel has been at the center of political controversy for the past year. ABC suspended the show in September 2025 over his remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move came hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened regulatory action against ABC and its affiliates and as Nexstar, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates, said it would preempt the program. ABC lifted the suspension within about a week.

In April, Mr. Kimmel joked in a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologue that first lady Melania Trump had a glow like an “expectant widow.” Two days later, authorities say, a gunman rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton and opened fire, striking an agent whose ballistic vest protected him. President Trump said Disney and ABC should fire him immediately, and the first lady urged the network to “take a stand.” ABC did not take him off the air.