NEW YORK — “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will not air a live show opposite Stephen Colbert’s May 21 finale.

It’s no coincidence that a rerun of a previous Kimmel program will play on that Thursday night, despite live shows airing the rest of the week, according to the Late Nighter website. People confirmed that report.

Kimmel reportedly said his ABC show is airing a repeat in “deference to Colbert’s sendoff,” which marks the end of his “The Late Show” counterpart’s nearly 11-year run on CBS. Both comics occupy their respective network’s 11:35 p.m. spot.

Kimmel will join fellow late night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers for a farewell visit with Colbert on Monday night’s “The Late Show.”

That quintet dubbed itself “Strike Force Five” in 2023 when they teamed up to record a podcast to keep fans entertained while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike sidelined their TV shows.

Colbert told his audience on July 17 that CBS was pulling his show off the air. Weeks later Skydance Media acquired his network’s parent company to become the Paramount Skydance Corporation.

Despite speculation about Skydance Media’s friendly relationship with President Trump, a frequent target of Colbert’s mockery, the former network said its reasoning was strictly financial.

Trump’s circle has repeatedly pushed for Kimmel to be taken off the air due to the funny man’s criticism of the President and his acolytes.

Kimmel was pulled off the air for about a week in September after prominent conservative figures including the President took exception with remarks he made following the shooting of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel was signed to a one-year contract extension in December. His previous deal would’ve expired this month.

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