Jimmy Fallon has renewed his deal with NBCUniversal, holding onto his position as the host of “The Tonight Show” through 2028.
The extension comes just after Fallon’s 10-year anniversary on the show, which NBC celebrated with a two-hour primetime special on May 14.
Fallon has been an NBC mainstay since 1998, when he joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” He remained on the late night sketch show for six seasons, hosting “Weekend Update” alongside Tina Fey from 2000 to 2004, at which point he left the show to pursue a film career. He returned to the network in 2009, succeeding Conan O’Brien as the host of “Late Night” until 2014 before moving to “The Tonight Show,” succeeding Jay Leno. (Seth Meyers took over “Late Night” after Fallon and still hosts the show today, having recently renewed his own deal through 2028.)
Also on NBC, Fallon hosts the game show “That’s My Jam” and executive produces and serves as a panelist on “Password,” hosted by Keke Palmer.
“For nearly 30 years, Jimmy Fallon has brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock,” said Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group. “It’s been a privilege to witness Jimmy at the helm of the ‘The Tonight Show’ and we’re thrilled to see what innovations he and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network.”
In Fallon’s joking statement, he said, “For nearly 30 years, I’ve brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock. It’s been a privilege to be at the helm of the ‘The Tonight Show’ and I’m thrilled to see what innovations me and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network. No, I’m not changing my quote. Tell Mark to change his.”
“Throughout his time at NBC on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘Late Night’ and ‘The Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Fallon has demonstrated his extraordinary talent and been an integral part of our iconic comedy brand,” said Frances Berwick, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment. “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our relationship with Jimmy and to see him carrying ‘The Tonight Show’ torch into the future.”
“The Tonight Show” has remained the No. 1 (or tied for No. 1) late night talk show among adults 18-49 for all 10 of Fallon’s seasons. The series is TV’s longest running talk show, and is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video with Lorne Michaels executive producing. Showrunner Chris Miller serves as producer alongside Gerard Bradford.