I wonder how much they were on the hook for. In Colbert's case its absurd, a $100 million contract for a talk show, something that could be produced on a shoe string budget?
If Craig Ferguson was on the air he'd be more watched than Colbert and probably made his show on a budget of $20, a can of pork and beans and half used roll of paper towels
But how much of those production costs went into producing the vax-scene music sketch and costumed dancers?
It was ending In June'26 but with floundering ratings and a clear shift in the country they probably viewed him as a liability. Between base+bonus they getting off the hook for around 20million. I'm sure the lawyers can angle what he said and make it for cause screwing him out of that money, which is the cherry on the top. None of these fucks are funny nor have been for a long time. Last good late night show was MadTV.
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Jimmy Kimmel's most recent contract extension with ABC, announced in September 2022, was for three years, covering seasons 21 through 23 of the show and extending his role as host and executive producer through the 2025-2026 TV season (ending around June 2026). This deal followed a previous three-year renewal in 2019 and built on his tenure since the show's debut in 2003. As of September 2025, approximately nine months remain on this contract, though the show has faced recent disruptions, including being pulled indefinitely by ABC following controversial comments by Kimmel.Under this agreement, Kimmel's annual salary is reported as $15 million per year for hosting the show, equating to roughly $88,000 per episode across about 170 episodes per season. Some estimates suggest his total annual earnings from ABC could reach around $24 million when including a reported $3 million bonus and other incentives. These figures align with salaries for top late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert ($15 million) and are slightly below Jimmy Fallon's ($16 million).