Dana Walden

“Well, I'm certainly not going to make that announcement with you here today,”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden was asked at the Bloomberg Screentime summit whether Jimmy Kimmel will still be hosting his late-night show in a year.

“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.”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden acknowledged Kimmel's ratings are up but noted they are up relative to a smaller late-night broadcast audience.

“The truth is, it's a very challenging day part, late night,”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden responded when asked why it isn't a no-brainer for Disney to keep Kimmel on air.

“He's close to a number of the people at Disney. And again, we're trying to work through it and make sense of both what does Jimmy want, what's the right thing to do and what's right thing for our business.”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden said Disney is trying to work through what Kimmel wants and what is right for the business.

“Obviously, there's a YouTube channel. Millions of people are watching On Demand, the parts of that show — that is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show. So we're trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership,”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden explained that YouTube and On Demand viewership is not a lucrative opportunity for a premium talk show.

“I love Jimmy. We have a great friendship,”

Dana Walden · said 2026-10-01 · reported 2026-10-01

Walden emphasized her personal friendship with Kimmel amid uncertainty about his late-night future.