Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden told Bloomberg Screentime on Thursday that ABC is still working through whether Jimmy Kimmel stays beyond his current deal, framing the decision as a late-night economics problem rather than a talent problem.
The Kimmel equation
“It’s a very challenging daypart, late-night,” Walden said. “That’s not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up, but they’re up relative to a smaller audience that’s watching late night on broadcast television.”
The show’s YouTube channel reaches millions of viewers on demand, she said, but that viewing does not turn into a lucrative business for a premium talk show. Walden said Disney is working through what Kimmel wants and what the business needs.
The renewal question has been swirling since September, when Page Six reported Kimmel would step back after his contract expires in May 2027. ABC has denied those reports, calling them inaccurate and speculative.
- Ratings are up, but on a smaller linear late-night audience.
- YouTube gives the show a large on-demand reach without premium TV economics.
- Kimmel’s contract runs to May 2027.
- ABC says any departure talk is speculative.
The show also sits inside a politically charged regulatory environment. ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air about a year ago after Nexstar Media said it would pre-empt airings over jokes about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. FCC chair Brendan Carr later threatened action over Kimmel’s remarks, and the FCC ordered ABC to submit license renewal applications early in April.
Moana’s window problem
Walden also addressed the live-action “Moana,” which opened in July and took in $323 million worldwide against a $250 million production budget. Her explanation: the film was too close to “Moana 2,” which premiered in November 2024 and finished just over $1 billion worldwide.
“It’s so competitive right now that you have to have … the right film at the right time,” Walden said. She said the live-action film was hurt by the proximity to the animated sequel and that there may not have been enough time to build pent-up demand for another “Moana.”
The original 2016 “Moana” made $643 million worldwide. But Walden argued the franchise’s value sits beyond theatrical: theme parks, consumer products and streaming. “So there will be an event. There will be something,” she said.
The cost structure question
On Disney’s recent layoffs — a few hundred employees across departments in the third round this year under CEO Josh D’Amaro — Walden said the company, like competitors, is constantly evaluating structure. She described the latest round as a voluntary retirement program that gave long-tenured executives agency to decide whether to leave or stay.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the Kimmel and Moana stories carry the same warning: reach on YouTube and affection for an IP do not automatically fix the underlying revenue model. A show or franchise has to be spaced, priced and structured for the business it is actually in.
Source: Variety
