<em>Late Night with David Letterman</em> Returns to TV on Letterman&#8217;s FAST Channel

Late Night with David Letterman has found a new streaming home on David Letterman’s FAST channel.


Letterman TV, the host’s free ad-supported channel on Samsung TV Plus, is expanding to feature content from his 1982–1993 run as host of NBC’s Late Night, Samsung announced today.


Through a new deal with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, Samsung TV Plus has secured licensing rights to the show’s entire 1,819-episode run. With this agreement, Samsung TV Plus becomes the exclusive television home for Letterman’s full 33-year late-night archive.


Letterman TV launched last year with highlights culled from 4,000 hours of content from his CBS-era Late Show, which Letterman owns through his Worldwide Pants banner. As with that material, episodes from the NBC vault will rotate onto the channel monthly.


The first wave of Late Night programming includes “landmark episodes,” anniversary specials, and guest-focused packages featuring Andy Kaufman, Steve Martin, and Pee-wee Herman. Also in the mix: themed curiosities like “Camping with Barry White” and “Humidifier vs. Dehumidifier.”


Letterman began resurfacing his extensive back catalog in 2022 with the launch of his YouTube channel, which now boasts more than 850,000 subscribers and racks up millions of views on clips from both Late Show and Late Night. But the NBC deal is especially notable given Letterman’s famously rocky departure from the network when he decamped for CBS. (Conan O’Brien has followed a similar path, launching a dedicated YouTube channel for his own Late Night work outside of TBS.)


Letterman himself alluded to his history with the network in a statement: “All the fun of NBC and me 40 years ago. Are you kidding!? The Golden Age of television!!! All thanks to my old friends (cough) at NBC joining my new Samsung TV Plus friends.”


NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution also weighed in. “David Letterman kicked off his late-night career at NBC and his unique, irreverent humor went on to reshape the talk-show format,” said Bruce Casino, EVP of U.S. Sales & Distribution. “He set a standard that continues to inspire hosts and comedians across the spectrum, and we’re excited to partner with Worldwide Pants and Samsung TV Plus to bring his Late Night library to the Letterman TV FAST channel.”


Salek Brodsky, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Samsung TV Plus, added: “Letterman’s NBC years were more than just comedy—they set the standard of modern late-night. Bringing this iconic era to Samsung TV Plus further cements the service as a destination for culture-defining entertainment. As the late-night landscape evolves, Samsung TV Plus is the home where the genre’s greatest voices keep their legacy alive.”


FAST channels have become a popular way for late-night franchises to repurpose deep archives. In 2023, Conan O’Brien brought his TBS library to Samsung TV Plus with Conan O’Brien TV, while Saturday Night Live launched its “SNL Vault” channel on Amazon Freevee, the Roku Channel, and Peacock.


Letterman TV’s newly expanded lineup of Late Night episodes begins streaming today.

Source: 800 Pound Gorilla Media (USA)

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