After two years as the host of NBC’s late night talk show, Allen jumped into the network’s Sunday 8 p.m. prime time slot on June 24 directly opposite Ed Sullivan on CBS. Neither man cared for Elvis Presley’s act, but Allen realized he needed a quick rating boost if he was to compete with Sullivan’s top-rated program. After Elvis drew so much attention with his earlier appearances on the Dorsey Brothers and Milton Berle shows, Allen decided Elvis was what he needed and signed him to appear on his Sunday evening show on July 1, 1956.