Disney President Dana Walden Declines to Confirm Jimmy Kimmel's Future at ABC
Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden told reporters on Oct. 2, 2026 that she would not confirm whether Jimmy Kimmel will stay at ABC once his current contract runs out in May 2027.
The comment, made at a Bloomberg Screentime conference, highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the late‑night host’s future on the network. Walden said the late‑night daypart is “very challenging,” even though Kimmel’s ratings have risen.
According to Nielsen data cited by the network, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 2 million viewers during the 2025‑26 season, a 29 percent increase from the prior year’s 1.55 million. The show also improved its adults‑18‑49 rating to 0.18 from 0.14, marking its strongest performance in that demographic in four seasons.
Walden noted that while the ratings are up, they are measured against a shrinking broadcast audience. She added that the show’s YouTube and social‑media clips generate only a fraction of the revenue that traditional television advertising provides, making the digital component “not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show.”
Jimmy Kimmel signed a one‑year extension in December 2025 that keeps him on the air through the 2026‑27 season, with a reported salary of about $16 million per year. The extension followed a temporary suspension of the program in September 2025 after Kimmel made controversial remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show was reinstated less than a week later.
Walden emphasized the personal dimension of the decision, saying, “I love Jimmy, we have great friendship. He’s close to a number of the people at Disney. We’re trying to work through it and make sense of what does Jimmy want, what’s the right thing to do, and what’s the right thing for our business.”
Earlier reports from Page Six suggested the contract would not be renewed, a claim ABC denied as “purely speculative.” Walden’s remarks suggest Disney is still weighing the host’s desires against the financial realities of the late‑night block.
As of now, Disney has not provided a timeline for a final decision, leaving the future of one of broadcast television’s most recognizable late‑night personalities in doubt.
