... But Disney, the parent of ABC, where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs, squeezes a lot of juice out of Kimmel, people there tell me. There are affiliate fees for networks that pick up Kimmel’s programming, online ads and sponsorship deals. He hosts the Oscars, which helps with brand building.
The segments featuring his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, are also a draw for advertisers, these people say. Taken together, all this means Kimmel, despite his annual salary of $16 million (nearly as much as his ad-revenue losses), a massive staff (200 people working on the show) and falling ratings, is profitable, my sources at Disney say. ...
