Jimmy Kimmel has secured a new deal with ABC to keep "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on the air through the 2026 to 2027 season, ensuring the Emmy-winning host remains a fixture in late-night television for at least another year.

According to Bloomberg, the agreement was finalized before a controversy over Kimmel's remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel,​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍ makes about $16 million a year with the main hosting duties that adds up to his $50 million total net worth as per Celebrity Net Worth. In 2025, Forbes positions him at number 24 out of the highest-paid television ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌hosts.

Suspension and Political Backlash

The show faced a brief suspension in September after Kimmel commented on Kirk's death during the September 15 episode.

He criticized attempts to politically frame the tragedy, saying, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Kimmel also took aim at President Trump, noting, "With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together, but he didn't. President Obama did. President Biden did. Presidents Bush and Clinton did. President Trump did not. Instead, he blamed Democrats for their rhetoric."​

​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Nexstar, a cluster of ABC-affiliated stations, declared that it would remove the show from its airwaves locally forever, labeling the remarks as "objectionable" and substituting the program with the other programs.

Kimmel Addresses Controversy

Upon returning to the show after the suspension, Kimmel clarified his intentions, saying he never sought to make light of Kirk's death or assign blame to any political group.

"You understand it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," he said, according to CBS. "Nor did I mean to blame any specific group for the actions of a specific individual. That was actually the opposite of the point I was trying to make."

He also expressed empathy for the tragedy, noting that his earlier Instagram post called for compassion for Kirk's family.

"For those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset. If the situation were reversed, there's a good chance I would've felt the same way," Kimmel added.

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Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy kimmel live