ABC Denies Reports That Jimmy Kimmel Live Will End After Next Season

Page Six reported Jimmy Kimmel Live is ending after next season; ABC called the reports purely speculative.

Page Six ignited Hollywood chatter on September 8 by reporting that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' — which has aired on ABC for more than two decades — is set to wrap up after next season, with a rumored end date of 2027. TMZ said it confirmed the report independently, while Us Magazine and Just Jared also covered the story as it spread across entertainment outlets. ABC moved quickly to push back. An ABC Entertainment spokesperson told Us Magazine: 'This information is inaccurate — any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.' Just Jared similarly reported ABC 'shut down' the claims. Kimmel, 57, launched the late-night program in January 2003, making it one of the longest-running shows in that format on American broadcast television. Neither Kimmel nor his representatives have made any public statement about the show's future. Spencer Pratt, 43 — a reality TV personality and declared 2026 Los Angeles mayoral candidate — seized on the reports. He posted on X: 'Newsom and Kimmel gone next year?? Be still, my laughing heart! Things are looking UP fam,' on the same day the reports surfaced. Pratt recently lost a bid in the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Why it matters

Jimmy Kimmel Live has been an ABC late-night fixture for over 24 years, and its potential end would mark a significant shift in the network's programming lineup. With ABC flatly denying the reports, audiences and industry observers are left uncertain about the show's actual status.

What's next

No official announcement about the show's future has been made, so any confirmation or denial from Kimmel himself or ABC would be the key development to watch.

Key facts

• Page Six was first to report the show's end; TMZ said it independently confirmed the claim
• ABC Entertainment spokesperson called the reports 'inaccurate' and 'purely speculative' on September 8
• Jimmy Kimmel Live debuted in January 2003 and has run for over 24 years on ABC
• The rumored end date cited in reporting is 2027, after next season
• Spencer Pratt, 43, a 2026 LA mayoral candidate, publicly celebrated the unconfirmed reports on X
• Neither Jimmy Kimmel nor his representatives have issued a public statement on the matter

Bias & framing notes

All sources are entertainment-focused outlets, and the core claim — that the show is ending — rests on Page Six's original report with no on-record sourcing from Kimmel or ABC corroborating it. TMZ claimed to have confirmed the story independently but provided no named sources. ABC's on-record denial adds a concrete counter-fact, yet TMZ still presented the ending as confirmed news. Coverage of Spencer Pratt's reaction across TMZ and Us Magazine gave roughly equal weight to an unverified rumor and a celebrity's social media mockery, with little emphasis on the lack of substantiation.

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