It was announced today what Conan O’Brien’s next stop at late-night will be, and it won’t be Fox like many suspected. It will, surprisingly, be TBS. While the funnyman was in talks with everyone from Fox to Microsoft for Xbox Live, TBS ultimately had the best offer.
“In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable,” said O’Brien. “My plan is working perfectly.”
O’Brien was initially reluctant to occupy the 11 p.m. slot that George Lopez had been in, until Lopez called and asked him personally to come on TBS. Lopez Tonight will now air at midnight.
“I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in,” Lopez said. “It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy.”
Conan O’Brien tends to attract a younger demographic than other veteran talk show hosts, and that could be a prime target for gaming marketers. Jimmy Fallon has already made great hay out of hosting game designers and having world premieres, including this week with Epic Game’s Cliff Bleszinski.
“For decades, late-night TV has been dominated by broadcast television,” TBS president Steve Koonin said. “Now, with a young audience and a growing late-night lineup, TBS is set to be the choice of comedy fans for years to come.”
