Jimmy Kimmel is sticking around for another year.
The comedian has signed a one-year extension with ABC to continue hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! It means that his deal, which was set to run through May 2026, will now run through May 2027.
Deadline understands that it will likely be his last contract to host the show, although given that Kimmel has vacillated wildly over the years when it comes to his contracts, it’s never a given.
It comes after a tumultuous year for Kimmel after he was pulled off the air by Disney in the wake of comments surrounding the murder of Charlie Kirk. He also lost his close friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo III last month.
Speaking at last month’s Screentime event, hosted by Bloomberg, which broke the news, Kimmel said that he didn’t want to discuss his future. “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, who told staff at the show on Monday, said that he still thinks late-night television has a future, but the cost of these shows, which he has pegged at around $120M per year, is one of the problems.
“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, having started airing in 2003.
