At Least One Late Night Host Is Sticking Around

There have been a lot of changes in the late night landscape recently, but now there's definitive news that one talk show host isn't going anywhere. Jimmy Kimmel has extended his contract for Jimmy Kimmel Live for two more years meaning he's on board with ABC until January 2017. Two years may not seem like that long, but after the changes late night has gone through recently, it's almost strange to hear that someone is sticking around. Kimmel has hosted his show for eleven seasons and, according to the New York Times, the current season is the fourth straight year the show has increased its audience. Clearly this trend has paid off.

Jimmy Kimmel Live aired at midnight for its first nine years, but in 2012 the show was changed to 11:35 p.m. putting it in direct competition with late night heavyweights David Letterman and Jay Leno. This, along with new segments that went viral on the Internet, contributed to Kimmel's growth in popularity. This season the show is up 16 percent in total viewers and 13 percent in viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 — the demographic advertisers look for.

Kimmel renewing his contract while at his most successful is no surprise, but it's oddly refreshing after all of the changes in late night that have occurred recently. In just the past year, Jimmy Fallon replaced Leno on The Tonight Show, Seth Meyers took Fallon's spot on Late Night, Letterman announced he would be leaving The Late Show in 2015, Stephen Colbert was announced to take his place, Chelsea Handler said she'd be leaving Chelsea Lately, and Craig Ferguson revealed he'd be leaving The Late Late Show.

Clearly, a lot has gone down recently in late night, but that also means that unless something crazy happens (CBS viewers can't handle Stephen Colbert realness?), Kimmel, Colbert, and Fallon will be going head-to-head for at least two years. Bring it on.