Asked at Bloomberg Screentime whether Jimmy Kimmel will host his show a year from now, Disney’s president declined to answer. Her reasoning was entirely about economics. At the same conference, Kimmel said he wants Walden to be Disney’s next CEO.
Dana Walden had a chance to settle this and didn’t take it.
Disney’s president and chief creative officer appeared at the Bloomberg Screentime summit on Thursday, Oct. 1, where Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw asked whether Jimmy Kimmel would still be hosting his ABC show a year from now.
“Well, I’m certainly not going to make that announcement with you here today,” Walden said.
Her case is about the business
Shaw pressed on why keeping Kimmel isn’t an obvious call, noting his ratings are up and his profile has risen sharply.
Walden pointed at the format rather than the host.
“The truth is, it’s a very challenging daypart, late night,” she said.
She was careful to separate Kimmel from the problem. “That’s not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up,” Walden said. “But they’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late night on broadcast television.”
Her summary of where Disney sits: “We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership.”
The YouTube problem is real
The sharpest part of her answer involved where people actually watch.
Kimmel’s monologues draw millions of views on YouTube and social platforms. Those views generate a fraction of what broadcast advertising does.
It is also worth noting that videos and views can be easily boosted with a lot of money. His views may not be completely organic.
“That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show,” Walden said.
That’s the bind, and it isn’t unique to Kimmel. A late-night show can be more culturally visible than it has been in years and worth less money at the same time. Clips travel. Clips don’t pay for a staff, a band and a studio.
What Walden didn’t bring up
Kimmel’s show was suspended earlier this year over remarks he made about the investigation into the killing of Charlie Kirk. The suspension drew public objections from other hosts including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon.
President Trump had publicly urged ABC to fire Kimmel. One day later, the FCC under chairman Brendan Carr ordered an early review of eight ABC station licenses. In August, Disney sued the commission, alleging a retaliatory campaign against the network over its programming. Carr has said the review stems from a DEI investigation and called the lawsuit meritless.
That is the reason anyone is asking about Kimmel’s contract at all. It could also be why his views are up.
Walden answered the question entirely in terms of nighttime slots, audience size, and YouTube monetization. She did not mention any of the above.
Executives have obvious reasons not to discuss active litigation at a public conference. It still means the stated case for uncertainty is a business case.
Kimmel endorsed her for CEO at the same event
Here’s the detail that makes the day genuinely strange.
Kimmel also appeared at Bloomberg Screentime, in his first wide-ranging interview since the controversy.
He said he wants Dana Walden to be Disney’s next CEO.
He also credited Walden with helping resolve the situation, said he had “really good conversations” with her and then-CEO Bob Iger, and described the reaction to his comments as a “distortion” by right-wing outlets rather than a real problem.
Kimmel declined to discuss his own late-night future.
So at one conference, on one day, the host publicly backed the executive for the top job while that executive publicly declined to guarantee his.
Where the contract actually stands
Kimmel signed a one-year extension in December 2025 that keeps him at ABC through the 2026-27 television season, according to reporting on the deal.
In early September, Page Six reported his contract would not be renewed after that. ABC denied it. Other reports have indicated the network is seeking significant budget cuts to keep the show going.
Nothing has been decided publicly either way.
Late night is shrinking everywhere
The context extends past ABC.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended its run at CBS, removing one of the format’s anchors. Broadcast late night has been contracting for years as viewers moved to streaming, YouTube and podcasts.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains the top late-night show in the 18-49 demographic, which is the metric advertisers pay for. That is both an argument for keeping it and a measure of how much the whole category has shrunk.
Walden’s answer suggested Disney is weighing three things: what Kimmel wants, what the company considers right, and what the business supports.
She didn’t say which one wins.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
The Hollywood Reporter (Oct. 1, 2026), the report that surfaced this coverage and the background on the September contract reporting
Bloomberg Screentime (Oct. 1, 2026), the Lucas Shaw interview with Dana Walden and Jimmy Kimmel’s separate appearance
Fox News (Oct. 1, 2026), the full exchange including Walden’s opening response and Shaw’s follow-up
Yahoo Entertainment and The Blast (Oct. 1, 2026), Walden’s quotes on ratings, audience size and the partnership
Deadline (Oct. 1, 2026), Kimmel’s remarks on Walden, Iger and the handling of the suspension
Disney by Mark (Oct. 1, 2026), the December 2025 contract extension terms
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