As CBS prepares to launch their new Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC has announced that Jimmy Fallon will host The Tonight Show for the foreseeable future.
NBC says their new deal with Jimmy Fallon keeps him on board as host of The Tonight Show through September 2021. He’s been hosting the show since February 2014.
“Jimmy has been an important member of the NBCUniversal family for 17 years. He is extraordinarily talented, hard-working and brings a level of creativity and energy every single day that is simply unmatched in television,” said Steve Burke, Chief Executive Office, NBCUniversal. “The success of the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has been nothing short of remarkable. We couldn’t be prouder of the show he and his team put on every night and couldn’t be happier that he will remain with us at 30 Rock at least through 2021.”
“Jimmy Fallon is simply the best that there is, the most versatile star of a show anywhere in television in my opinion,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “The Tonight Show has always been an institution, but he’s remade it into a destination for the largest audience anywhere in late night. He’s the face of NBC in a lot of ways and we’re thrilled he’s going to be hosting ‘The Tonight Show’ for many years to come.”
NBC notes in their press release that The Tonight Show is “America’s #1 late-night talk show” with “3.8 million viewers overall” in 2014-2015. The network also notes Fallon “dominates” the competition at CBS and ABC by a +79% margin in the coveted 18-49 demographic.
It’ll be interesting to see how those numbers shift, if at all, when Stephen Colbert starts his gig as Late Show host beginning September 8.