At Bloomberg’s Screentime conference, Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden declined to say whether Jimmy Kimmel will stay at ABC beyond his current deal, and pivoted to the business headwinds facing late night. “I’m not going to make that announcement here with you today,” she said. According to the source account of her remarks, she joked she would leave any announcement to someone else on the panel.
Walden’s rationale: late night is shrinking
Walden called late night “a very challenging daypart.” She added, “That’s not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up. But they’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late night on broadcast television.”
On digital, Walden said YouTube and social clips do not replace the traditional TV ad model: “That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show.” According to the source, she said digital views bring in a fraction of on-air ad revenue.
Where Kimmel’s deal stands
The source states Jimmy Kimmel signed a one-year extension in December 2025 that keeps him on the show through the 2026–27 season. Walden did not say the contract would be renewed, and she did not say it would be dropped.
Framing the choice as both business and relationship, Walden said, “We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership. 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.”
Rumors, denials, and budget questions
The source notes a recent Page Six story claimed Kimmel’s contract would not be renewed. According to the source, ABC denied that account and called talk of the show’s future speculative.
Other reports, per the source, said the network was seeking significant budget cuts if the show continues. The Western Journal reported in September that Disney had pressed for a smaller budget. Walden did not mention a dollar figure or any cancellation date, and she did not treat renewal as automatic, according to the source account of her remarks.
What’s clear right now
Based on the source’s summary of Walden’s public position: ratings are up inside a shrinking late-night audience, online viewing does not pay like television, and Disney is still weighing what Kimmel wants against what the business can support.
