By Bobby Burack

Copyright outkick

Wednesday night, we posted a column in response to ABC’s decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely. We detailed Kimmel’s trajectory from comedic everyman to Hollywood fraud, and how he dug his own grave long before his lies about Charlie Kirk. You can read that column below: A day later, we have some additional thoughts and a response to the left’s defense of Kimmel: This has nothing to do with “free speech” Kimmel’s allies responded to the news of his suspension by claiming ABC is violating his free speech rights. “The countries where comedians can’t mock the leader on late-night TV are not really ones you want to live in,” warned MSNBC’s Chris Hayes. CNN’s Brian Stelter added that “America is a less free place if late-night comedians cannot do and say what they want,” calling the suspension “chilling.” The Writers Guild declared in a memo Thursday, “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Okay, but what does any of that have to do with Kimmel? This isn’t about a joke or edgy political commentary. On Monday, Kimmel lied. He claimed Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin was part of the “MAGA gang” and reportedly then refused to correct it. That’s not comedy. That’s fabrication. Free speech doesn’t preclude your employer from disciplining you. OutKick values freedom of expression more than any outlet in the media. However, if I wrote that Democrats ordered George Floyd’s death and tried to pass it off as “my right to lie,” it wouldn’t fly. This isn’t complicated. There’s a difference between cancel culture and accountability. Between an opinion and a lie. Also, where were all these defenders of free speech leftists when the Biden administration pressured Facebook and Twitter to muzzle ordinary Americans who questioned the White House’s COVID-19 policies? Kimmel could spin his suspension into martyrdom ABC is likely to cave to the pressure and want to bring Kimmel back at some point. However, he may not want to come back. For background, Kimmel was likely on his way out of ABC anyway. His contract expires in 2026 and the network had little incentive to extend it. Like Colbert, Kimmel makes around $17 million a year and requires a hefty budget for his large staff. Considering Colbert’s show lost around $40 million a year, it’s hard to imagine Kimmel’s programming generating much, if any, profit for ABC. But now, Kimmel can exhibit his exit. Kimmel has spent the past decade desperately trying to gain the approval of the Hollywood elite. He can now present himself as a martyr who wouldn’t back down from a fascist regime. You know he will. And expect Hollywood to take care of him, whether it’s on Netflix or an executive producer role for some unbearable comedy program. Kimmel will be fine. In fact, he will be better off — and likely more insufferable than ever. At least he’ll be less relevant, as viewers won’t accidentally stumble upon one of his corny, cliché-ridden monologues on ABC anymore. Jimmy Fallon: Default King of Late-Night? Jimmy Fallon has struggled to keep pace with Kimmel and Colbert since late-night shifted to a more divisive tone in 2016. So far in 2025, Fallon has averaged just 1.1 million viewers compared to Colbert’s 2.4 million and Kimmel’s 1.7 million. However, with Colbert’s run ending in 2026 and Kimmel’s future in question, Fallon could be the last remaining host at the traditional 11:35 ET late-night timeslot on broadcast television. Even if just 10 percent of Colbert and Kimmel’s audiences eventually pivot to Fallon, the increase would be significant. Industry sources also expect NBC to continue investing in late-night, at least in the short term. While Fallon’s ratings are the lowest of the three, his program generates the most advertising and digital media revenue. Clip culture has been kind to Fallon, with 32.8 million subscribers on YouTube. Of course, Fallon could self-destruct with reckless political propaganda like his ABC and CBS counterparts. But Fallon isn’t nearly as partisan as Colbert or as desperate for approval as Kimmel. Politics is not Fallon’s forte. He’d rather play beer pong with a pop star than provide a sermon. Sometimes the best path to victory is to sit tight while those around you implode. It could be about to work for Fallon.