Tag: jay leno show

Conan O’Brien $45 Million Dollar Deal with NBC Final

NBC announced Thursday they had reached a final deal with Conan O’Brien for $45 million. O’Brien will receive $33 million for his exit as host of The Tonight Show. The rest of the settlement will go to his staff for severance pay and contract buy-outs.

Conan O'Brien (Photo: U.S. Embassy at Helsinki)
Conan O'Brien (Photo: U.S. Embassy at Helsinki)

The deal will allow Jay Leno to resume his former post of 17 years as host of The Tonight Show on March 1st. As part of the deal, Conan O’Brien has been asked not to return to television for eight months. “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,” the network said in a press statement Thursday.

“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.”

“We’re pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years,” said Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment. “He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television.”

Conan O’Brien will make his last appearance as host of The Tonight Show on Friday.

Frankly, we could do without seeing either one of them on the air for a while. All this media frenzy about the Jay Leno versus Conan O’Brien feud has just left us bored with both of them – and once again astounding by the stupidity of television network executives in general.

>> Previously:  Conan O’Brien Furious Over Jay Leno Late Night Shake Up

Conan O’Brien $40 Million Payout from NBC

Conan O’Brien is reportedly close to signing a $40 million exit deal with NBC. O’Brien is expected to receive the bulk of the payout, with the rest going to staffers for severance pay and contract buyouts.

Conan O'Brien (Photo: John J. Kruzel/American Forces Press Service)
Conan O'Brien (Photo: John J. Kruzel/American Forces Press Service)

Under the $40 million deal for Conan O’Brien from NBC, The Tonight Show host would not be able to launch a new television show until fall, according to the Wall Street Journal. O’Brien would take home just over $30 million from the deal.

The remainder of the payout would be given to O’Brien’s Tonight Show staffers and crew. Many of them moved from Los Angeles to New York with O’Brien to work on The Tonight Show and were reportedly upset and angry that they might not be compensated properly for losing their jobs.

The terms of the deal also ban Conan O’Brien from bad-mouthing his former employers once he leaves the network. Not that he hasn’t already had his fill of trashing NBC since this whole drama started.

>> Previously:  Conan O’Brien Furious Over Jay Leno Late Night Shake Up