Los Angeles : Talk show host Conan O'Brien has agreed to a $45-million payout from US network NBC after his show was bumped in order to accommodate Jay Leno, NBC announced Thursday.
Under the deal O'Brien will get more than $33 million with the remaining sum going to his show's 200 staff members.
The massive payoff comes seven months after NBC shifted O'Brien to take over Leno's "The Tonight Show" so that it could move Leno to a prime time slot at 10 p.m. But the plan faltered when Leno's ratings dived, and NBC announced its plan to shift Leno back to his late night spot earlier this month.
O'Brien will host his final show on NBC Friday, with Leno starting March 1. NBC will fill the gap with Winter Olympic programming and repeats.
