Jimmy Kimmel has been on late-night TV as host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! since January 26, 2003, so as of early 2026 he’s been on the air for about 23 years.

How long he’s been on late night

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII as a special launch.
  • The show has continued airing through the 2020s, making it ABC’s longest-running late-night talk show.
  • Counting from January 2003 to January 2026, he has been a late-night host for roughly 23 years.

Quick timeline snapshot

  • 2003: Leaves Comedy Central’s The Man Show and launches Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.
  • First decade: Airs at 12:05 a.m. Eastern before moving up to the 11:35 p.m. slot in 2013.
  • 2023: Celebrates the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut.
  • 2020s: Continues hosting, with over two decades logged in late-night television.

Mini “forum-style” take

“If you started watching him in the early 2000s, congrats, you’ve basically grown up with one of the longest-tenured network late-night hosts still on air.”

Some fans frame it this way: Kimmel arrived a bit after the Letterman/Leno era was already established, but by sticking around from 2003 into the mid‑2020s, he’s turned into one of the “old guard” of modern late night.

SEO bits

  • Focus keyword used: how long has jimmy kimmel been on late night
  • Meta description: Jimmy Kimmel has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since January 26, 2003, giving him about 23 years on late-night TV as of early 2026.

TL;DR: He’s been a late-night host for about 23 years, ever since Jimmy Kimmel Live! launched in January 2003.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.