Photos: CBS, Comedy Central, ABC
Let the Winter Games begin! And in turn, let your favorite late-night shows take the occasional breather.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games now are quietly underway, with the Opening Ceremony set to air/stream tonight on NBC and Peacock. Though The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will follow the Opening Ceremony with a Friday-night special, NBC’s flagship talker—as well as most of its peers—will be operating on modified schedules for the duration of the Winter Games’ two-week run.
Here’s how it all nets out.
FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9, NBC’s The Tonight Show and lead-out Late Night with Seth Meyers both are preempted by their network’s wall-to-wall coverage of the Winter Olympic Games. NBC’s Saturday Night Live will also be on hiatus.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as lead-out Comics Unleashed, will serve up repeats opposite the well-watched international sports competition.
What’s new, you ask? Both ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show are airing fresh episodes, as will Fox News’ Gutfeld! and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live. HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher will be new that Friday; ditto CNN’s Have I Got News for You on Saturday. And HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver kicks off its “lucky 13th” season Sunday, February 15.
FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 16, The Tonight Show, Late Night, and SNL will again be sidelined by NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games, while Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Show and Watch What Happens Live will take their turn to go dark.
On the plus side, both The Late Show and Comics Unleashed will return with fresh episodes that week, and Gutfeld!, Real Time, HIGNFY, and Last Week Tonight will again be new.
GET EXCITED FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23! With the Closing Ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games airing/streaming Sunday, February 22, everyone will be back that Monday with new shows. Fallon, Seth, Kimmel, Colbert, the Daily Show crew… all of ’em. Also, SNL resumes Season 51 on February 28, with host Connor Storrie (Heated Rivalry) and musical guest Mumford & Sons.
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