ABC's late-night show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' may have been a financial success, but recent trends in late-night television suggest it is not prospering.

Late-night TV programs grapple with financial decline, as Jimmy Kimmel's show gets axed and networks slash expenses due to tumbling viewership and ad income.

, and ASMedia

2025 September 30 . 10:41 AM

2 min read

ABC's late-night show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' reportedly did not generate significant profits. Why?... — ABC's late-night show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' reportedly did not generate significant profits. Why? The dwindling interest in late-night programming might be a reason.

ABC's late-night show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' may have been a financial success, but recent trends in late-night television suggest it is not prospering.

In a significant move, Disney-owned ABC has suspended the late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following controversial comments made by its host, Jimmy Kimmel, about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The decision comes amid a decline in late-night TV viewership and advertising revenue, with major television networks like CNN, NBC, and CBS implementing significant cost-cutting measures in their news divisions.

The suspension of Kimmel's show was confirmed by sources close to CEO Bob Iger. This move follows Paramount's decision to end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" after its current season concludes. CBS, on the other hand, opted against replacing "The Late Late Show with James Corden" when the host departed in 2023 after eight years with the show, due to the show reportedly losing upwards of $40 million a year.

Nielsen data shows that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has been losing viewers over the past decade, with a 72% decline among key demographics. The show's share of the key demographic of 18 to 49-year-olds declined from 0.68 in 2013-14 to 0.16 in 2024-25. LateNighter reported that "Jimmy Kimmel Live", as well as CBS's "The Late Show" and NBC's "The Tonight Show with Seth Meyers" have seen viewership declines of 70% to 80% since 2015.

Two media groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, announced they would preempt "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefinitely following his comments. It's unclear when Kimmel's show will return to the airwaves. Advertising data company Guideline reported that late-night shows on major networks saw their ad revenue decline from $439 million in 2018 to $220 million last year.

Last year, budget cuts at NBC led to the elimination of the 8G Band, which was the house band for "Late Night With Seth Meyers" from 2014 to 2024. The "Late Late Show" was on the air with a variety of hosts from 1995 until two years ago, with Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson preceding Corden as the host.

Network TV research analysts predict that 2022 was likely the last year most or all traditional network's late-night shows turned a profit. Net losses for late-night TV on broadcast networks are projected to widen in the years ahead. As the landscape of late-night television continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this suspension will impact the future of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and the broader late-night TV industry.