Justin Timberlake cancels ‘Tonight Show’ performance; still on for ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ show

Justin Timberlake is going to be doing quite a bit of promotion during the next couple of days in an effort to promote his upcoming second part of “The 20/20 Experience.” However, we can say now that one of the gigs that he will not be performing at is “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” After originally being set to appear on Monday night to sing and do an interview, sources tell Deadline that he will now just be sitting down to chat with Leno.

As for the reasoning behind the switch, reports are varied. Some are saying that he is feeling under the weather, while others suggest that he is trying to create as big an impact as possible with a major event on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tomorrow night, as the ABC late-night host is shutting down Hollywood Boulevard for a performance from the “Take Back the Night” singer. (He’s doing the same thing tonight for Sir Paul McCartney, which is proof that Leno is missing out by filming in Burbank.)

As for whether or not these sort of events really create that much of a ratings impact, it is slight depending on the artist. Some of the real money comes via ad revenue from streaming platforms the next day. While some folks may not be so willing to stay up late and wait around 40-45 minutes to see a performance, they will sit through a 30-second ad at their own convenience. Given that these shows have at least in part figured out how to monetize themselves this way, these bookings are a win for Kimmel no matter what. As for Leno, he’ll be getting viewers regardless of what Timberlake does.

One last thing for all Timberlake fans: iTunes is making it possible (if you click here) to listen to Justin’s latest album a little bit early, just in case you want to hear what you would be purchasing.

Photo: NBC