In the aftermath of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s cancellation, one late-night host’s show is reportedly safe from getting the axe.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will remain on the air for the next few years, as host Jimmy Fallon previously signed an extension to his multimillion-dollar contract with NBCUniversal through 2028, multiple outlets reported back in June 2024. In addition to The Tonight Show, Fallon will continue to appear on the game show series Password and host his new reality series, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, which premieres next month.
However, an article published by Page Six on Monday, August 4, notes that both Fallon and his fellow NBC late-night host Seth Meyers recently experienced setbacks in their shows’ productions. “Seth and Jimmy had budget cuts last year, which saw Jimmy go from five days a week to four days,” an insider told the outlet. “He records Monday through Thursday, and the show repeats on Friday.”
It was previously reported in September 2024 that The Tonight Show scaled back its weekly show tapings, while Late Night With Seth Meyers lost its house band that June due to budget cuts.
Amid The Late Show‘s cancellation, some have speculated that the decision was politically motivated rather than financial. Shortly before the cancellation, CBS’s parent company, Paramount, settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Donald Trump after he accused 60 Minutes of heavily editing a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“While his staff liked him, corporate didn’t… and Colbert’s contract was up … so it was a perfect storm,” a CBS source told Page Six, while another insider claimed that politics currently don’t play a role in Fallon’s NBC future.
“Jimmy is more motivated by entertaining his viewers [than scoring political points], and he knows the importance of digital-first content,” the second source shared.
A separate source, meanwhile, told the outlet that Jimmy Kimmel‘s criticism of Trump on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! boosts his chances of avoiding a potential cancellation. “Even if he was thinking of retirement, he most definitely will stay now,” the insider claimed, while another told the outlet, “[Disney President] Dana [Walden] would never ax Kimmel.”
Trump slammed the current state of late-night TV while denying he was involved in The Late Show’s cancellation in a July 29 Truth Social post. “The reason [Colbert] was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses — And it was only going to get WORSE!” he wrote.
Trump continued, “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon. The only real question is, who will go first? Show Biz and Television is a very simple business. If you get Ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don’t, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, NBC