NBC’s late-night lineup is in for a later-than-usual night Tuesday.
The network’s first-ever NBA Tip-Off tripleheader is already scheduled to delay The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers nearly an hour past their usual start times—and if last year’s opening-night basketball coverage is any indication, they could end up airing later still.
NBC and Peacock are carrying three games as the 2026-27 NBA season gets underway Tuesday, beginning with the Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia 76ers visit the New York Knicks at 7 p.m., followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m.
As things currently stand, The Tonight Show is scheduled to begin at 12:30 a.m. ET, 55 minutes later than its usual 11:35 p.m. start. Late Night would follow at approximately 1:32 a.m.
Those times, however, are very much dependent on the final game ending on schedule.
A year ago, NBC’s NBA Tip-Off doubleheader produced the latest start of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show tenure. Fallon was already scheduled for an unusually late 1:05 a.m. start that night, but when the Golden State Warriors-Los Angeles Lakers game ran more than 20 minutes long, Tonight ultimately began at 1:29 a.m. ET. Meyers followed at 2:31 a.m.
Sports have already made a habit of pushing The Tonight Show around this fall.
Since Labor Day, Fallon has started after midnight three times because of NBC sports coverage. A Sept. 7 Labor Day NFL broadcast pushed a repeat of Tonight to 12:21 a.m., while the NFL season opener two nights later held the show until 12:29 a.m. On Sept. 27, a special Sunday-night edition following Sunday Night Football didn’t begin until 12:56 a.m.
Baseball has gotten in on the act, too. NBC’s MLB Wild Card coverage pushed Tonight to 11:56 p.m. on both Sept. 29 and Sept. 30.
On weeknights, any delay to Fallon also pushes Late Night with Seth Meyers back with it. Meyers is scheduled to begin 62 minutes after Tonight, meaning even NBC’s currently scheduled 12:30 a.m. start for Fallon Tuesday would put Late Night at approximately 1:32 a.m.
And that’s if Thunder-Spurs ends on time.
