Is Jimmy Kimmel retiring from late night in 2025? (Contract details)

Jimmy Kimmel is an old pro. The comedian has been hosting late night television for over two decades, in addition to his game show and Oscars hosting stints. He's been a busy man longer than some of his viewers have been alive. And he may be looking to cut back on his workload.

Kimmel voiced uncertainty over his late night future during an chat with the Los Angeles Times. He told the outlet that he's considering walking away from Jimmy Kimmel Live! once his current contract ends, in an effort to spend more time with his family and his son, Billy, in particular.

Kimmel has considered ending his show for years

“I hate to even [consider leaving], because everyone’s laughing at me now," Kimmel said. "Each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case." The comedian then noted that he had a few years left on his contract to make up his mind. "That seems pretty good," he concluded. "That seems like enough."

The thing is, the Los Angeles Times profile was in February, meaning that Kimmel is significantly closer to the end of his contract than when he first commented. The veteran comedian is set to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! through 2025, but he has no concrete plans to continue after that:

"I think this will be my last contract."

As definitive as Jimmy Kimmel's stance sounds, the comedian did acknowledge that things are subject to change. He noted that when he takes time off from Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as he did this summer, he will find himself coming up with new jokes and segment ideas.

Kimmel's NBC contract expires after 2025

"I think, 'I cannot wait until my contract is over,'" he admitted. "But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.'" Kimmel's pointed effort to take on less of a workload than years prior was bolstered, though, when he turned down an offer to host the Oscars in 2025.

The comedian has already hosted the ceremony four times, but he explained that the workload of juggling the talk show and the Oscars is too much to take on a fifth time. “When I'm focused on the Oscars, I'm less focused on the show," he said during his stint on the Politickin podcast. "And I just decided I didn't want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year."

It'll be interesting to see if and when Kimmel pulls the trigger on ending his show, or whether the excitement of the upcoming election cycle will prove too difficult to resist, and he re-ups his contact for another few years.