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Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
It's become clear that the late-night television industry has undergone a massive change, and that became even clearer after CBS canceled show "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"« . Since then, many talk show hosts have weighed in on the matter, and the debate continues after Colbert's departure. Jimmy Kimmel has been particularly vocal about the state of the industry and acknowledged that the transition is happening naturally. However, he also shared his opinion on why he believes the medium is, in a sense, being "poisoned.".
About the closure The Late Show »" was announced in July 2025, and at the time, CBS executives said the decision was made for financial reasons. However, some speculate that the cancellation was prompted by Colbert's outspoken opposition to the network's settlement with US President Trump in the case. «60 Minutes» (which apparently prevented the merger of parent company Paramount with Skydance). Regardless of the reason for the show's demise, Kimmel admits it hurt him:
It's a bit disconcerting for me. In many ways, I feel like I'm looking into my own future.
Kimmel, who was honored with a Peabody Award this weekend, previously criticized executives for closing «The Late Show» . He openly stated his belief that reports of Colbert's show losing millions of dollars are untrue. Kimmel also discussed the "elephant in the room"—the looming threat of late-night television disappearing entirely. However, in an interview with Vulture, he still believes talk shows succeed amid a sea of supposedly inaccurate statistics.
If you look at the number of views my colleagues and I get online every day, and add to that the ratings for our traditional television, you'll find that evening TV is now watched by far more people than ever before… We're not just dying of natural causes. We're being poisoned.
To illustrate his point, Kimmel cites CBS's decision to renew Colbert's contract back in 2023, signing the host to a five-year deal. Kimmel questions why management would even agree to such a multi-year extension if Colbert's show was actually losing money for the media conglomerate:
Am I really supposed to believe that they've suddenly started losing $40 million a year over the past two years? Those are just made-up numbers.
More about Jimmy Kimmel
Left to right: Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert sit next to each other on "The Late Show," both waving their left hands.
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the end of the Late Show and how late-night shows "aren't like the good old days" in a touching tribute.
Despite Kimmel's doubts, his assertion that he is now considering his future in relation to fate «The Late Show »", says that for him this is certainly an existential question. The former member of "The Man Show» Kimmel has been outspoken about his future on late-night talk shows, and even as recently as 2022, he expressed uncertainty about how long he would remain on his program. In December 2025, Kimmel agreed to extend his contract until May 2027, but even if he were willing to renew next year, it remains to be seen how ABC would handle it in a changing marketplace.
However, at the time of this writing, Alphabet Network has not given any indication that show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"« is not profitable. I remain intrigued by what lies ahead for Jimmy Kimmel, as well as other hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver, in this new era of late-night television. Given that «The Late Show» has come to an end, there are legitimate concerns about the further development of this format.
However, at present show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"« continues to air weekdays at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC, along with other talk shows as part of the 2026 television schedule.