Here’s When Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC Contract Ends

There’s been a major shift in the late night talk show space as of late. Amid confirmation that The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is done at CBS at the end of 2026, Jimmy Kimmel’s current contract with ABC for Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to expire at the end of the 2025-2026 television season, per the Los Angeles Times.

The host has hinted at potentially retiring the show at the end of this contract. This may leave a large hole in the late-night talk show space. 

As for why Colbert’s show is ending, reports about the hardships of TV late-night’s business model amid rising costs, declining profits, and shrinking viewership may be a reason. Colbert has been openly critical of President Donald Trump, while CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, is in the process of finalizing a $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which requires regulatory approval from the federal government.

But recently, Colbert joked about a theory as to why his show got the ax. His firing could have been due to his controversial summer mustache. Either way, fans are stunned and saddened by the announcement. 

“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home,” CBS said in a statement about Colbert’s firing. “He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.” He broke the news to the audience during a taping, noting he found out the previous evening that next year will be the show’s final season.

When the audience expressed disappointment, Colbert said, “Yeah, I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS,” he said. “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away. And I do want to say … that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I’m so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course I’m grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night.”

He thanked the staff, saying, “I’ve had the pleasure and the responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years,” he said, adding, “It is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it. It’s a job that I’m looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.”

Colbert took over the show from David Letterman in 2015. He previously hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.