Jimmy Kimmel Signs One-Year Extension With ABC/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ ABC extended Jimmy Kimmel’s contract for one year, keeping him on air through May 2027 after a recent suspension. The late-night host faced controversy over remarks following activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination but returned with higher ratings. President Trump continues to criticize Kimmel, yet ABC stands by the comedian.
Jimmy Kimmel ABC Renewal: Quick Looks
- ABC renewed Jimmy Kimmel’s contract through May 2027 with a one-year extension.
- Kimmel was previously suspended over controversial remarks after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
- After his return, Kimmel saw a notable boost in show ratings.
- Trump publicly attacked Kimmel and called for his removal from ABC.
- Kimmel continues to openly mock Trump in monologues.
- Trump criticized Kimmel again during the Kennedy Center Honors event.
- ABC’s renewal comes amid declining late-night TV viewership across networks.
- Stephen Colbert’s CBS show ends in May 2026, while Kimmel continues.
- Media expert Bill Carter says Kimmel wants to exit on his own terms.
- Kimmel clarified his intent on earlier remarks but did not apologize directly.
Jimmy Kimmel Signs One-Year Extension With ABC
Deep Look
ABC has officially extended Jimmy Kimmel’s contract for one more year, ensuring that the late-night host remains on the air through May 2027. The announcement comes just months after the network temporarily suspended Kimmel over comments he made in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Despite the controversy, ABC is moving forward with Kimmel as one of its marquee personalities—clearly signaling continued confidence in his appeal and ratings performance.
The decision stands in direct contrast to calls from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly demanded that ABC remove Kimmel. Most recently, Trump criticized the comedian in a social media post, referring to him as a “bum” and mocking his recent monologues targeting the president and the Jeffrey Epstein case. “Get the bum off the air,” Trump wrote last month, a response to a nearly 10-minute Kimmel segment that dissected Trump’s involvement in the ongoing Epstein file drama.
Even during the Kennedy Center Honors this past weekend, Trump couldn’t resist taking another jab. “Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” he said, referencing Kimmel among other TV hosts. “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
Kimmel has never hosted the Kennedy Center Honors but has helmed the Oscars four times. As Trump remains focused on Kimmel’s commentary, the comedian continues to lampoon the president with punchy one-liners.
“There are gas stations on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Trump right now,” Kimmel joked just last week.
Kimmel’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been a staple of ABC’s late-night programming since 2003. Like much of the television industry, the show has faced viewership declines, with many viewers now consuming monologues and highlights online the next day. Despite this trend, Kimmel remains a central figure in late-night comedy and political commentary.
His future was thrown into doubt in September when ABC suspended him following a heated monologue in response to Kirk’s murder. In the segment, Kimmel accused “the MAGA gang” of trying to exploit the situation politically, saying they were “doing everything they can to score political points from it.” Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Groups threatened to pull the show from their networks, which influenced ABC’s decision to briefly remove him from the air.
When Kimmel returned, he did not apologize but clarified that he never intended to target any group directly or trivialize the killing. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said during his return episode.
Interestingly, this return coincided with a ratings boost, suggesting that viewers either supported Kimmel’s stance or were drawn by the controversy. Since then, his show has maintained stronger viewership numbers compared to earlier in the year.
While most of Kimmel’s past contract renewals have been multi-year agreements, this one-year extension raises questions. ABC has not publicly stated why the shorter deal was chosen. However, media analyst and author Bill Carter, known for his deep coverage of the late-night world in The Late Shift, offered context.
“Kimmel is 58 and clearly thinking about the end of his run,” Carter said. “But he doesn’t want it to look like he’s leaving because of Trump. He wants to make sure that it’s on his terms.” Carter added that the network’s decision to stand by Kimmel, despite political backlash, reinforces its support of his role as a political satirist and cultural commentator.
The move also sets Kimmel apart from his competitors. CBS recently announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026 due to budget concerns, even though it remains the most-watched late-night program. With Colbert stepping down and no clear successor named, Kimmel could emerge as the senior figure in network late-night television—at least for now.
As political tensions escalate ahead of the 2026 elections, Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night voice remains both divisive and influential. ABC’s decision to keep him on air, even with a shorter deal, reflects the delicate balance between risk, ratings, and relevance in today’s media environment.
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