TBS renews “Conan” through 2018

At today’s Upfronts presentation for TBS and TNT, the cable networks announced they’re keeping Team Coco in business through 2018 with another three-year contract extension for Conan.

And throughout Burbank’s Team Coco HQ, and everywhere fans of Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter and the rest of the team exist, late-night TV viewers breathed easier knowing at least one more piece of the puzzle was securely in place.

From the announcement:

TBS and Conan O’Brien are continuing their partnership as the network has renewed the late-night series CONAN through 2018. Since it premiered in November 2010, CONAN has been a hit with TBS’s core audience of young adults, scoring a younger median age than any other hour-long talk show in late night.

For the year-to-date, CONAN is averaging 862,000 viewers in Live + 7 delivery, with more adults 18-34 than such competitors as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Arsenio Hall Show, Chelsea Lately and Watch What Happens: Live. The show garnered growth in Q1 2014, with adults 18-34 up by +12% and adults 18-49 increasing by +5% compared to Q4.

CONAN is a powerhouse when it comes to the digital realm, with a social media following of more than 18 million fans across 12 different platforms, including 10.6 million Twitter followers (more than any other late-night star on cable), 2.5 million Facebook fans, 4.6 million Google Plus followers and 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. In addition, last year’s “Occupy Conan” initiative, which invited fans to create an entire episode through crowd-sourcing, recently earned a People’s Voice Webby Award. And the Team Coco mobile app won the 2012 Emmy for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Enhancement.

“Over the past four years, we have built a terrific relationship with Conan O’Brien and are thrilled to be extending his series for another three years,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Conan has not only brought an incredibly young audience to TBS but has also created a digital presence that draws millions of fans to his unique brand of comedy. In addition, Conan has taken his show on the road for memorable weeks in New York, Atlanta and last month in Dallas, and will be breaking new ground next year when CONAN becomes the first late-night show to tape at Comic-Con. We couldn’t have asked for a better late-night host or a more enthusiastic ambassador for the TBS brand.”

CONAN airs Monday-Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS. The series, which earned an Emmy(R) for its innovative companion app, is produced by Conaco LLC, with Jeff Ross serving as executive producer. The show originates from Stage 15 at Warner Bros. Studios.

Conan O’Brien also recently hosted the 2014 MTV Movie Awards.

Congrats, Team Coco!

Also, you really should check out the CONAN360 app. It’s kind of amazing to see all of the bonus footage they’re giving full-angle coverage to on there.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

View all posts by Sean L. McCarthy →