LOS ANGELES: Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will host the 89th Oscars in February, sources at theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were reported as saying on Monday.

His selection is expected to be announced imminently by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, who were tapped last month to produce the ceremony, according to multiple media outlets.

The Academy did not respond immediately to requests for confirmation of Kimmel's selection to front the show, which airs live on ABC on February 26.

It would be the first time for the comedian, who has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the network since it launched in 2003 and garnered praise for his work as host of this year's Emmys television awards.

ABC, which pays the Academy a reported $75 million a year to broadcast the Oscars, struck a new deal in August giving network executives more input into creative aspects of the ceremony.

Kimmel's appointment comes unusually late this time around, as the host is usually booked months in advance of the Oscars.

It will end speculation over several other possibilities for presenter, including fellow comedians Ellen DeGeneres and Tina Fey.

Chris Rock hosted the 2016 ceremony, which suffered an eight-year low in ratings, averaging 34.5 million viewers.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2016