Jimmy Kimmel should just leave ABC and go online, people have been saying this week. But it’s not that easy: Donald Trump can find you there, too.
Jimmy Kimmel remains off the air, following a meeting with Disney executives that reportedly didn’t go well. Maybe he’ll never come back.
“So what? It’s 2025. Why doesn’t he just go to a streamer or the internet?”
I’ve heard a lot of that the last few days — from colleagues, pundits, and people like Bill Simmons, who has worked for Disney multiple times — including as a writer for Kimmel — and went on to launch his own company, to great success.
There are two answers to that. The first one is short: Yes, Jimmy Kimmel could absolutely go to the internet and start podcasting or streaming or whatever he wanted to do. He could set up shop immediately.
The second one is where it gets murky: Yes, Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t need to be on TV anymore. But in 2025, going to the internet — whether it’s his own thing that he sets up for himself, or a deal with a streamer or a podcast network, isn’t a cure-all.
