Ed Sullivan Theater, Where the Beatles Debuted on US Television

The Beatles made their first American television appearance at the Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway in Manhattan, on 9 February 1964, before an estimated 73 to 74 million viewers. CBS then called the 1927 building Studio 50. Since the Late Show ended in May 2026 it has had no regular tenant, but landmark protection keeps it a theatre.

The Sunday night of 9 February 1964

In 1964 the building was not yet named for Ed Sullivan. CBS called it Studio 50 and had broadcast from it since 1936. Demand for seats that night ran past 50,000 requests, and the callers included Walter Cronkite and Richard Nixon, both asking on behalf of their daughters.

The Beatles rehearsed twice before going on air and were not happy with the microphones. In the live show they played two spots. The first was All My Loving, Till There Was You and She Loves You. Later in the hour came I Saw Her Standing There and I Want to Hold Your Hand. One published account lists only four songs, but the Sullivan show's own archive gives all five titles.

About 60 per cent of the television sets switched on in the United States were tuned to CBS. Estimates of the audience vary slightly: the Sullivan archive says 73 million, while a TIME retrospective puts it at roughly 74 million in 23.24 million homes. By either figure it was a record for American television at the time.

A theatre older than television

Herbert J. Krapp designed the building, which opened on 30 November 1927 as Hammerstein's Theatre. After spells under other names, CBS leased it in 1936, first for radio and then for television. It became the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967, while his show was still running there.

The city designated the lobbies and auditorium as a landmark on 5 January 1988, and the building joined the National Register of Historic Places on 17 November 1997. CBS bought it outright in 1993 when David Letterman's Late Show moved in, and Stephen Colbert took over the programme in 2015.

The building since May 2026

From the street, the marquee and the Broadway facade are what a visitor can see. No source describes a plaque, sign or display about the Beatles on or outside the building.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired its final episode on 21 May 2026, leaving the theatre without a regular tenant. Its future was still open at that point. It could return to television or become a Broadway house, but its landmark protection means it has to remain a theatre.