While Turner Broadcasting executives have said that Conan O’Brien’s flagship late-night show could transition to a weekly schedule and embrace a digital-first distribution strategy, reports have now surfaced that YouTube itself may be seeking to sign the much-beloved host.
YouTube has reportedly held talks with O’Brien about hosting a talk show exclusively on its platform, The New York Post reports, given that O’Brien is in the final stretch of his $12 million-per-year contract with TBS.
While sources told the Post that O’Brien will likely remain with TBS, the discussions illuminate YouTube’s potential interest in a talk show on subscription service YouTube Red — much in the same way that Netflix signed Chelsea Handler after her contract ended with E!. O’Brien counts 4.7 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, and has also invited several prominent creators onto his TBS show, including PewDiePie and Flula.
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O’Brien’s show airs from Mon. to Thurs. on TBS, and is enormously popular among the young male demographic, the Post reports, though ratings have declined since he signed with the network in 2010.