ABC extends Jimmy Kimmel late-night show for two more years

[May 07, 2014]  NEW YORK (Reuters) — Jimmy Kimmel's late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has been extended for two more years, ABC said on Tuesday, sealing the late-night line-ups across the main U.S. networks for the next few years.

Kimmel, 46, has presided over the show for 11 seasons. He moved to an earlier, high-visibility 11:35 p.m. time slot in January 2013, where ratings increased despite head-to-head competition from veteran David Letterman on CBS and NBC's "Tonight Show," which Jay Leno left earlier this year.

Walt Disney Co-owned ABC confirmed Kimmel's extension and will formally announce it later on Tuesday, an important endorsement of Kimmel's late-night formula as competing networks swap out veterans for younger hosts.

Jimmy Fallon took over the "Tonight Show" from long-serving host Leno in February and has been well received, while Letterman is due to step down from CBS' "Late Show" in 2015. He will be replaced by Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Mary Milliken and Marguerita Choy)

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