Conan, NBC Split Finalized: Host Will Walk Away With Millions
Posted January 21, 2010 11:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The acrimonious divorce between Conan O’Brien and NBC has finally come to a close, reports TheWrap.com.
The ink has dried on a deal that will see the network shell out upwards of $40 million to The Tonight Show host and his staff.
Much of that – $32 million, reportedly – will go to O’Brien. The rest is a severance package for his staff, many of whom moved from New York to Los Angeles to work on the 11:30pm talk show.
The tumultuous late-night battle began in 2004, when NBC promised to hand over the reigns of The Tonight Show to O’Brien in five years.
Then-current (and now future) host Jay Leno promised to leave quietly. He took the helm of a 10pm show, called The Jay Leno Show, in June of 2009. O’Brien took over The Tonight Show.
Seven months later, with ratings for both shows perilously low, NBC decided to move Leno back to The Tonight Show.
O’Brien has criticized the network’s decision heavily in recent monologues. His last show will air on Friday. Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks and Neil Young will appear.
Leno will resume hosting The Tonight Show on March 1. His previous tenure lasted 17 years.
Exclusive: Conan, NBC Officially Splitsville (The Wrap)
Watch highlights of Wednesday’s shows here: The Late-Night Wars (Gawker)
