Ariana Grande joined veteran actors Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller for a comedic performance of the holiday classic "O Christmas Tree" during a special Sunday episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 8, 2026. The late-night broadcast aired on NBC at 11:35 p.m. ET following the network's Sunday Night Football matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears, as well as late local news. The trio appeared together to promote their upcoming Universal Pictures comedy Focker-in-Law, the latest installment in the long-running Meet the Parents film franchise, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 25, 2026.

In a preview clip published by Billboard ahead of the broadcast, host Jimmy Fallon introduced the surprise musical sketch to celebrate the weekend arrival of the 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City.

Transforming into an unlikely Christmas caroling group, the three co-stars took the stage to deliver a harmony-filled version of the traditional seasonal song before sitting down for a joint interview with Fallon.

A Comedic Holiday Sketch

During the musical segment, Grande naturally assumed the lead vocal duties, drawing immediate applause from the studio audience as she hit the song's upper register. Alongside the pop superstar and Grammy winner, Stiller delivered an earnest effort on his assigned verses, while De Niro contributed deadpan comedic timing to round out the trio's performance.

Beyond the holiday caroling sketch and the extended group conversation with Fallon, the special weekend broadcast featured a musical performance by rapper Lil Baby, according to Headline Planet.

The full episode brought together two generations of comedy leads with one of the music industry's top-charting vocalists to kick off the Thanksgiving box office promotional window.

Inside the 'Focker-in-Law' Press Tour

The joint late-night appearance serves as a central promotional stop for Focker-in-Law. In the new sequel, Stiller and Teri Polo reprise their roles as Greg and Pam Focker, alongside De Niro as the notoriously stern patriarch Jack Byrnes. Grande joins the established ensemble as Olivia Jones, a new character who is dating Greg and Pam's now-adult son, Henry Focker, played by Skyler Gisondo.

According to a separate report from Billboard, Universal Pictures has been steadily building anticipation for the Thanksgiving weekend release through digital cast Spotlights. On November 2, the studio shared behind-the-scenes footage featuring Gisondo, Beanie Feldstein, and Eduardo Franco having an on-set reunion seven years after starring together in Olivia Wilde's directorial debut, Booksmart.

Grande crashed the interview clip to hug Feldstein, joking about missing out on their previous collaboration while the cast praised her Oscar-nominated work in the Wicked film duology.

Gisondo also praised Grande's work ethic and comedic timing during the production run, noting her operatic vocal range and dedication on set. Grande's participation in the Focker-in-Law press cycle marks a high-profile return to late-night television after her representative announced in August that she would scale back certain public engagements following her Eternal Sunshine Tour. That tour supported her chart-topping albums Eternal Sunshine and Petal, which featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Hate That I Made You Love Me."

NBC's Post-Football Late-Night Strategy

The November 8 broadcast represents a broader scheduling strategy by NBC to leverage the massive live television audience of Sunday Night Football to boost its flagship late-night franchise.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, the Focker-in-Law cast takeover is the second of four special Sunday editions of The Tonight Show planned for the current football season. The first post-game broadcast aired on September 27 and featured guests Sylvester Stallone and country music artist Luke Bryan.

The special Sunday installment also helped make up for scheduling disruptions earlier in the week. As noted by NBC, The Tonight Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers were both pre-empted on Tuesday, November 3, to accommodate NBC News' live coverage of the 2026 midterm elections. Regular weeknight broadcasts resumed on Wednesday, November 4, with guest Tracy Morgan, followed by Ethan Hawke on Thursday and Sarah Paulson and Caitlin Clark on Friday.

NBC has already locked in its remaining Sunday night late-night lineup for the season. A third post-football episode is scheduled to air on Sunday, November 15, featuring actors Jennifer Lopez and Anthony Mackie alongside musical guest Quavo.

The fourth and final Sunday broadcast of the season is slated for January 10, with the guest lineup still to be announced. Meanwhile, Fallon's regular weeknight schedule continues on Monday, November 9, with guests Pete Davidson, Meghann Fahy, and Léa Seydoux.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can viewers watch the complete performance, rather than the advance preview?

Following the live broadcast on NBC at 11:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, full episodes and individual sketch segments of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are made available for next-day streaming on Peacock, according to NBC.

Did NBC or the show release official viewership or online engagement figures for the sketch?

No. While preview clips were distributed to major entertainment outlets ahead of the broadcast, neither NBC nor the program's production team has released official television ratings or total digital viewership metrics for the "O Christmas Tree" segment.

How does the performance fit into the film's broader promotional campaign?

The sketch is the centerpiece of the television press tour for Universal Pictures' Focker-in-Law, which opens in theaters on November 25, 2026. Pairing newcomer Grande with original franchise leads De Niro and Stiller highlights the generational crossover driving the new Thanksgiving comedy.

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