In a new deal with TBS, Conan O’Brien is set to host his late-night show another four years, along with a few other added duties. O’Brien’s Conaco LLC and TBS will work to create original digital content, podcasting, mobile gaming, pay TV and live tours. O’Brien said in a statement that “the TV landscape has changed dramatically since I inherited the traditional talk show format in 1993. In the past few years I’ve stumbled across many new and exciting ways of connecting with my audience, and I’m eager to evolve my show into something leaner, more agile, and more unpredictable.”
The agreement puts a spotlight on how quickly late-night TV must evolve at a time when so many of its fans watch the programs in non-traditional fashion whether it be online or through their smartphones. With TV viewers growing ever more thanks to the rise of streaming video and mobile devices, hosts like O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers must devise new methods to grab viewer attention. This deal will help O’Brien do just that.