Late night has been a heavy topic of conversation ever since CBS announced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled months in advance last TV season. The fall 2026 schedule still has a reasonable number of late night shows airing, with NBC and ABC still participating and hosts like John Oliver filling some of the gaps left by CBS. However, for completely valid reasons, some late night fans have been concerned about the future of the genre, particularly when it comes to Jimmy Kimmel's future.
The good news? NBC doesn’t really seem to be on the same page.
What’s Going On With ABC And Kimmel?
If you’ve been browsing the interwebs at all over the last couple of years, you probably know the relationship between Jimmy Kimmel and the White House is strained at best and hostile at worst. Jimmy Kimmel Live! (and other series The View) have faced pressure from the FCC and Kimmel was famously suspended following comments made on the air about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Since he’s been back, his monologues have been heavily political and targeted at Donald Trump. The President of the United States has called Kimmel a “loser” and more choice words.
Meanwhile, people have been tuning in to hear what Jimmy Kimmel has to say in larger volume, particularly in the wake of the loss of Stephen Colbert. Things are seemingly good, or are they?
We’re nearing Christmas, and there’s a lot coming down the pipeline at ABC. Of note, it’s worth pointing out that Kimmel’s contract is up at the end of the TV season next spring. I would have assumed with Colbert out of the picture and ratings up, a renewal would have been considered a sure thing, but then ABC’s Dana Walden said the financial picture CBS painted around Colbert was not inaccurate. The head honcho called Kimmel “phenomenal,” but said ad dollars on YouTube and other social media sites are not as lucrative as Live+7 viewers are, noting the late night audience is increasingly becoming more and more segmented.
Some insiders aren’t bullish about the future for the “unmanageable” late night host, either. Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel actually wanted to retire from late night at one point, so Jimmy Kimmel Live! ending probably wouldn’t be a personal disaster for the man. For the genre, however? Well, it’s a whole lot more worrying.
What’s Going On With NBC And Fallon?
Meanwhile, over at the Peacock Network, head honchos seem pleased as punch with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show. This is despite the fact Fallon is losing in total viewership to Jimmy Kimmel. (Though it’s worth noting ratings are up for both the Jimmys, with Fallon getting a 5% total viewer lift and 16% lift in the 18-49 demo.) While I’m sitting here on pins and needles worrying about the future of Live, NBC’s own Chris Miller, the showrunner on The Tonight Show, is already looking ahead to 2029.
That’s the year The Tonight Show will hit its 75th anniversary, a huge milestone number, and one Miller believes NBC is excited about. Miller told Variety:
We’re absolutely talking about it. We are sort of next in line for a big tentpole type of anniversary. Yes, we are actively thinking about it and talking about it and hope we will have fun news for that soon.
It’s not unusual for late night shows to look ahead. Miller mentioned in the same interview The Tonight Show is already booking out well into March of next year. The show in general seems to be thinking about the future of the show, but also non-linear programming. While Walden mentioned the lost ad revenue, Jimmy Fallon is looking at the bright side:
We are being seen by more people than, I think, in the history of The Tonight Show. People are watching in different ways.
Fallon sometimes takes flak for his blandly positive attitude, general fun tone, and avoidance of politics, but in this landscape, I think a little bit of positivity can go a long way. The future is uncertain, but the two Jimmys do have one thing in common. They are both showing up in the face of uncertainty and doing the job in their own ways and as well as they can.
