Conan O'Brien and NBC reach a $45 Million exit deal
While NBC wouldn't reveal details on the deal, but two sources close to the deal said that O'Brien would receive $32.5 million and his staff would receive $12 million. O'Brien will end his run on Friday and will be "free to pursue other opportunities after September 1."
The deal brings to an end the turmoil between the network, O'Brien and Leno that started when the network announced it was ending its primetime experiment of The Jay Leno Show after affiliates were reporting significant decreases in local news programs.
Here are the official statements from the network and Conan O'Brien.
NBC and Conan O'Brien have reached a resolution of the issues surrounding O'Brien's contract to host The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O'Brien will settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O'Brien from his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010.
O'Brien will make his final appearance as host of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on January 22.
Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O'Brien will settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O'Brien from his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010.
O'Brien will make his final appearance as host of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on January 22.
NBC's statement on Jay Leno's return to :
NBC confirmed today that popular late-night host Jay Leno will return to host The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. (ET) beginning March 1, 2010 and that Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will continue to be broadcast from 12:35-1:35 a.m. (ET). The announcements were made by Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment.
"We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Gaspin. "He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television."
Leno previously hosted The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from May 1992-May 2009. The program will continue to showcase many of the features that made Leno America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.
"We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Gaspin. "He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television."
Leno previously hosted The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from May 1992-May 2009. The program will continue to showcase many of the features that made Leno America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.
Comments (8)
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slysnide
Very true.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Josh
You're right, which is why I don't blame Leno either. This entire clusterf*ck is NBC's fault.
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
slysnide
But nobody ever asked Johnny Carson to retire. He just did. NBC approached Leno way too early to even talk about replacing him with Conan. It was just a mere 1/3 of Carson's run when this option came up. And if Conan said no, Jay wouldn't have had to haggle a 2009 retire date to stay on Tonight for at least an extra 6yrs. There was nobody besides Conan who was up to take the spot, so he obviously should've known that by agreeing to replace Jay that he was beginning this haggling process way too early. So he's at fault too. Plus writers do more work.--check that--they do all the work. Like all late night comedians only provide charisma. They don't write it anymore or decide who the guests are.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Josh
It's $32 million for screwing him over, that's how I see it.
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
slysnide
Paying him $32.5mil NOT to work??? Are they out of their minds? And he doesn't write his own material, so his writing staff should be getting the bulk of that. Seriously, the hosts may have had their own stuff when they got their foot in the door, but once they accomplished that and got these weeknight talk shows, the writing staff took over for the bulk of the job, while they provide good charisma for the jokes. So yeah, way too much money to pay someone to not do anything for a mere 7.5 months when they're already rich enough.
Anybody else see it this way? I mean $32.5mil! To NOT work. I mean really.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Cripple
I am very sad. Conan is my hero.
2 years agoby @crippleFlag
Josh
Seth Meyers said it best on last Saturday's Weekend Update.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M3yxx2saFA&feature=related
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
AnnoyingFilmCritic
Conan deserves the big paycheck for NBC screwing him after he patietly waited for 5 years to only have the gig pulled out from under him in 7 months! The parade of high profile supporters, like Adam Sandler last night, appearing on the last of his shows have been Great! Robin Williams & Tom Hanks will be on either tonight or this Friday night.
Last night, Conan had this funny bit where he was saying that since he's on the way out that he can pretty much do what he wants, so, he said, I might as well spend alot of NBC's money...then he introduced his most expensive sketch character - Bugatti Mouse - the world's most expensive production car, the quad turbo Bugatti Veyron supercar adorned with mouse ears on the roof & whiskers around the front grille...with song rights to the Rolling Stone's "Can't Get No Satisfaction" song playing - Total cost= $1.5 million (car was leased for the bit)
2 years agoby @annoyingfilmcriticFlag