Fact Check: Is 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' really ending in 2027 after 24 years on ABC?

WASHINGTON, DC: ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ has been a fixture of ABC’s late-night lineup since 2003, making it one of the network’s longest-running late-night shows. Amid renewed attention on the future of late-night television, a claim that the show will end in 2027 after 24 years has sparked discussion among viewers. Let’s fact-check the claim.

Claim: ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' is not 'getting extended'

According to reports circulating online, the next season of ABC’s late-night show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' could be its last, Page Six reported. “His contract is not getting extended,” a source familiar with the situation said. The new season begins Tuesday and could end in May 2027, marking 24 years on the air.

Kimmel takes pride in signing year-to-year contracts, which are uncommon in the television industry and give him more flexibility. The report comes after Rosie O’Donnell completed a four-night guest-hosting run on the show that reportedly drew strong ratings.

O’Donnell was “in her element,” a source said. She also went viral after mocking her longtime rival, President Trump, by performing a parody of the traditional Irish song “Danny Boy,” which she called “Donnie Boy."

Sources said the reported decision is unlikely to stem from his strained relationship with the Trump administration.

Kimmel had a bitter feud with Trump earlier this year after he joked that First Lady Melania Trump “had a glow like an expectant widow,” days before a third reported assassination attempt against the president.

Trump reacted angrily and called on ABC to fire Kimmel. Trump also criticized Kimmel over his comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025. Disney CEO Bob Iger later temporarily pulled Kimmel’s show from the air.

However, sources said new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro would not let politics influence the decision. “He’s not afraid of the administration … Josh isn’t folding,” a television insider said.

Fact Check: The claim is false

The claim is false. ABC’s 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' is not ending in 2027. A spokesperson for ABC Entertainment reported, “[This] information is inaccurate — any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”

Kimmel has previously signed year-to-year or short-term contracts and has openly discussed the possibility of leaving late-night television someday. However, neither ABC nor Kimmel has announced plans to end the show. The show is returning for its new season around the time the claim was reported.

Kimmel said he did not want to discuss his future during his recent Screentime event. “I often answer that question, and then I do the opposite of what I said previously. I said this is going to be like my last one [on the] last three contracts. I said this is the last one. So, I’ve learned not to say anything anymore, because it upsets my staff,” he said.

Kimmel told the show’s staff on Monday that he still believes late-night television has a future. However, he said the high cost of producing these shows, which he estimates at about $120 million a year, remains a problem.

“I don’t think there’s a reason for these shows to go away. I think there are different. There are ways. These shows started out because they were a way to get high-priced talent for almost free. That was the whole trick. That was the whole reason they started these shows. It was deemed to be promotional. So, the idea that these shows need to cost $120M is crazy,” he said.

'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' is currently in its 24th season.