The fallout from the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert continues to reverberate throughout late-night television. Now, Jimmy Kimmel is sharing his concerns about what the decision could mean for his future at ABC and the future of the genre.
Speaking with New York magazine, the ABC host suggested that the circumstances surrounding Stephen Colbert's departure are not an isolated event. Instead, Kimmel argued it gives a look into what could eventually happen across the late-night landscape. Rather than viewing the industry's struggles as an inevitable evolution, Kimmel argued that outside forces are accelerating its decline.
According to Kimmel, late-night TV is "not dying of natural causes. We’re being poisoned.” It echoes what Kimmel has said since the Colbert news broke last year. Political pressure, executive overreaction, and more are the real reasons that The Late Show was cancelled and why Jimmy Kimmel Live! could suffer a similar fate.
The end of Colbert's run at CBS raised eyebrows among fans and insiders from the entertainment industry. The network maintained that financial considerations drove the decision, but the timing sparked widespread speculation. Colbert had become one of President Donald Trump's most outspoken television critics, and the president responded by repeatedly calling for Colbert's job or consequences for CBS. Then, the cancellation came as Paramount was seeking federal approval for its merger with Skydance Media.
Kimmel made it clear that he remains skeptical of the financial explanation offered by CBS. He pushed back at claims CBS lost $40 millon annually on The Late Show, reiterating a stance he took when the news first broke. And if that was the case, why did the network offer Colbert a new deal in 2023? "Am I to believe that over the course of those two years, they suddenly started losing $40 million a year?” Kimmel asked.
His doubts are understandable. For years, The Late Show remained one of the most-watched programs in late night television. While audience numbers across the genre have declined from their peak, Colbert consistently led the traditional broadcast competition in total viewers.
Kimmel also revealed that he has been assured that Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains a profitable venture for ABC. So if his show suddenly gets the Colbert treatment, Kimmel knows that it won't be because of the bugdet.
Still, that doesn't mean fans are guaranteed to see Kimmel on air for years to come. Last December, he agreed to a shorter contract extension than the multi-year deals that he typically signed with Disney/ABC.
At the moment, Kimmel appears undecided about his long-term future. The host acknowledged that the television business is experiencing a period of significant instability, making it difficult to predict what comes next. Whether that means continuing beyond 2027 or stepping away from the desk is unclear, but its not the first time he's hinted at late-night TV retirement.
It's definitely not something late-night TV fans want to think about. While Kimmel has earned the right to walk away on his own terms, he'd leave behind an audience still reeling from the loss of The Late Show. But if late-night really is poisoned, then no one could blame Kimmel for wiping his hands clean of it all.
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