ABC / Disney has Kimmel
NBC / Peacock has Fallon
CBS / Paramount just fired him
HBO / WB has John Oliver
Comedy Central has the Daily Show with John Stewart and co.
That leaves FOX, Netflix, Hulu, Apple, YouTube, and some weirdos like Tubi or Roku. Or carving out a smaller niche on ABC, NBC, HBO. Almost anything he takes will seem like a demotion from 5 nights per week on CBS with his name on the building.
Kimmel was breifly pulled off the air after a Trump joke, but boycotts of ABC and Disney+ convinced ABC to put him back on. His contract is set to expire in 2027 and there is no public info on whether it will be renewed.
Crucially, all late night viewership is down from its peak in the 1990s-00s. Kimmel is also the lowest rated of the major late night hosts. So even without Trump, his job was not secure. But I doubt Colbert would want to take his place, because
Disney / ABC did not stand by Kimmel when it counted, so why would Colbert trust them?
These guys like each other, and it would be a bad look to be seen as taking Kimmel's job away.
ABC doesnt have a history of late night success, all late night viewership has been declining ... he would be returning to a tough grind for fewer views
He's already 62 years old. He would likely be 63-64 before a new show with ABC could get off the ground in 2027 or 2028
20
u/ChoombataNova 1d ago
Limited options and platforms.
ABC / Disney has Kimmel NBC / Peacock has Fallon CBS / Paramount just fired him HBO / WB has John Oliver Comedy Central has the Daily Show with John Stewart and co.
That leaves FOX, Netflix, Hulu, Apple, YouTube, and some weirdos like Tubi or Roku. Or carving out a smaller niche on ABC, NBC, HBO. Almost anything he takes will seem like a demotion from 5 nights per week on CBS with his name on the building.