Kimmel's Show to Limit Musical Guests

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is dialing back the music. Multiple sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that the ABC late-night program will now feature musical performances only twice a week, down from its usual near-nightly cadence. Meanwhile, sources tell Variety that musical performances will be cut back, though "the number is more likely to vary." Staff were reportedly alerted in recent weeks by longtime music producer Jim Pitt. No explanation was given, though Variety notes budget issues "likely" played a role.

NBC's Late Night With Seth Meyers has largely abandoned musical guests and lost its Fred Armisen-led house band in 2024 amid budget cuts. Similarly, CBS' The Late Show With Stephen Colbert had been scaling back its music segments before the network decided to cancel the show altogether. The Kimmel move leaves NBC's Tonight Show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, as the last major holdout with regular musical slots, per the Reporter.

Kimmel's team has long insisted that music is central to the show's identity. In a 2025 interview with Consequence, bookers Jim Pitt and Mac Burrus said it had been "a priority … from day one" and credited Kimmel with being "such a supporter in the music space." But as traditional TV shrinks—and sources claim none of the big late-night shows are profitable—the old promotional value of a late-night performance is harder to justify, even as many in the industry still see it as a key legitimacy boost for up-and-coming acts. Variety sees the Kimmel move as another example of "the downsizing of late-night TV" in general.