Skip to main content

Big ratings land Jimmy Fallon a big contract extension

jimmy fallon tonight show success lands 6 year contract extension sophia bush
Image used with permission by copyright holder
You’d better get used to seeing Jimmy Fallon behind the Tonight Show desk, because he’s going to be around for awhile. The funnyman just inked a deal that will keep him on as host of the No. 1 late-night talk show until 2021.

As reported by Deadline, NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt announced the new deal at NBC’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour today. The six-year extension, signed less than two years after Fallon took over for Jay Leno, will keep the SNL alum in the chair until September 2021.

Recommended Videos

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Forbes estimates that Fallon’s original deal bumped him up from the $5 million per year he was earning on Late Night to as much as $12 million per year.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

In a statement, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke praised Fallon’s performance as host of the venerable show, which has been a staple on the network since 1954, as well as his past contributions to NBC from his first season at Saturday Night Live on.

“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,” Burke said.

As the TV landscape continues to shift from the airwaves to the Web, Fallon in many ways epitomizes the new generation of late night hosts, who trade as much in YouTube clicks and viral social media posts as Nielsen ratings. He faces other rivals who’ve mastered the new style, as well, including the “other” Jimmy in Jimmy Kimmel, cablers like Jon Oliver and Conan O’Brien, and incoming CBS challenger Stephen Colbert, who will take over David Letterman’s post at Late Show in September.

The job of keeping America laughing after dark appears to increasingly be a young man’s game — Letterman even confessed to Rolling Stone in a recent interview that his inability to compete with the YouTube success of his competitors was part of the reason he relinquished his post after 33 years at CBS.

Fallon’s numbers speak for themselves when it comes to ratings, keeping the Tonight Show at the top of the heap during his smooth transition from Late Night. But his prowess for success in both the old guard of broadcast TV and the new age of short-form one-offs online may just be his greatest asset.

Either way, NBC isn’t letting him go anytime soon.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
Daniel Craig has weighed in on the news that Amazon now controls James Bond
A dirtied James Bond stands on a road.

The bombshell news that Amazon MGM have now taken over creative control of the James Bond franchise has led to plenty of concerns about what that means for Bond's future. For Daniel Craig, though, the last actor to play Bond, it was a moment to pay tribute to the Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who shepherded Bond to the big screen for more than 60 years.

“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” Craig told Variety. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”

Read more
5 movies leaving Amazon Prime Video in February 2025 you have to watch
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper lying down with another man, both holding rifles.

Quite a few movies are leaving Amazon Prime Video this month across every genre as licensing expires, and they move to different streaming services or become only available for rental or purchase. Armed with this knowledge, it’s the perfect time to sit back and watch one of these flicks before they’re gone.

From newer movies released in the last five years, like the Christmas comedy The Holdovers, to relatively recent ones like Captain Phillips, and older classics like L.A. Confidential and Boogie Nights, there’s a mix of options you won’t want to miss out on. Here, we’re highlighting five movies leaving Amazon Prime Video in February 2025 that you have to watch before they’re removed from easy access with your subscription.

Read more
5 movies leaving Netflix in February 2025 you have to watch now
Mark Wahlberg pulling Will Ferrell's tie in a scene from The Other Guys

Rom-coms aren't the only movies on Netflix in February. Action and thrillers are currently dominating the top 10. To Catch a Killer, Aftermath, Don't Let Go, and Rambo: Last Blood are all in the top eight. If you like romance, Notting Hill, La Dolce Vita, and Miss Congeniality are ready to go.
Movies will be heading out the door with the month winding down. Unfortunately, many of these movies will land on other streaming services you do not have. With the little time you have left in February, carve out some time to watch one or all of these five movies leaving Netflix. Our picks include a Nolan thriller, an underrated comedy, and a Cruise sci-fi adventure.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Sea of Love (1989)

Al Pacino has a knack for playing a hardened detective. New York City homicide detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) spends most of his days glued to a bottle of booze to get over his depression. Frank's latest case is to investigate a murder where a man was left in a room with a want ad by his side and the song Sea of Love playing in the background.
As more victims die with the same clues left behind, Frank begins placing ads in the paper to lure the killer into a meeting. Frank gets a hit from Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin), and the two begin a passionate relationship. The romance turns complicated when Frank considers Helen a suspect. Is Frank willing to look past the evidence in the name of love?

Read more