From AV Club · · 1m 10s
Disney president says Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube numbers don't matter long-term
Disney president claims Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube success won't save his late-night show from financial struggles.
In brief
Disney president claims Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube success won't save his late-night show from financial struggles. Disney president Dana Walden says Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube channel has limited value for a premium talk show despite high subscriber counts. Originally reported by AV Club.
Disney president comments on late-night TV
Disney president Dana Walden says late-night talk shows are expensive and face declining ad revenue despite high viewership.
“Millions of people are watching on demand parts of that show. That is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show.”
Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube channel
Jimmy Kimmel has 22.3 million YouTube subscribers but Walden says this doesn't translate to significant revenue for premium talk shows.
ABC negotiations with Kimmel
ABC reportedly wants Kimmel to cut 20 percent of Live!'s operating costs for a one-year renewal deal.
Kimmel's relationship with ABC
Walden considers Kimmel a close friend with a long history of representing ABC at major events and awards.
Ad spending decline
Late-night ad spending has dropped 50 percent since 2018, creating financial pressure on shows like Kimmel Live!.
Kimmel's ratings performance
Kimmel's recent ratings are up relative to smaller broadcast audiences but face challenges from declining ad revenue.
The headline
Disney president Dana Walden says Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube channel has limited value for a premium talk show despite high subscriber counts.
