Jimmy Kimmel’s Future in Jeopardy as ABC Reportedly Demands 20% Budget Cut to Keep Late-Night Show on Air

Jimmy Kimmel‘s future at ABC is facing fresh uncertainty as the network reportedly pushes for a major reduction in the cost of producing Jimmy Kimmel Live!, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

While ABC has denied that the late-night program is being canceled, an entertainment insider claims Kimmel could be asked to accept a dramatic budget cut if he wants to remain on the air beyond May 2027.

The latest drama began after Page Six reported that ABC would not renew Jimmy Kimmel Live! following its 24th season.

ABC quickly pushed back on the report, insisting that no final decision had been made about the long-running program.

“This information is inaccurate — any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative,” the network told The Daily Beast.

Kimmel, 58, remains under contract through May 2027, but journalist Matthew Belloni reported that a future deal could come with significant financial conditions.

According to Belloni, Kimmel’s agent James “Baby Doll” Dixon and Disney Entertainment Television chair Debra O’Connell are interested in negotiating an extension.

“They’ll need to cut the budget,” Belloni wrote, according to Puck.

The potential reduction could be substantial.

Belloni reported that Jimmy Kimmel Live! costs approximately $100 million annually to produce, putting the program in the same financial ballpark as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which CBS canceled.

ABC has not publicly confirmed how much money it wants Kimmel’s production to save.

However, Belloni said one source provided a rough estimate.

“A strong source close to the situation told me 20 percent of the current budget was a fair estimate,” Belloni wrote. “Not insignificant, and a big ask for a show like JKL!—which, like Colbert, has already been trimming costs in recent years.”

Kimmel has also been working under one-year contract extensions, rather than a three-year deal.