Networks and even Sony are offering The Tonight Show host Jay Leno some serious incentives and are lining up to snatch him up when Conan O'Brien takes over the talk show next year.
Jay Leno is already being paid over $20 million a year and according to a source, he might actually be underpaid. David Letterman, who trails behind Leno's viewership numbers, earns roughly $40 million a year and now every suitor is just about willing to match that number.
ABC can also give Leno a show in the same time slot as The tonight Show and Letterman's Late Show and
sources say that ABC will have no problem pushing Jimmy Kimmel Live back a bit to accommodate Leno.
Fox could give Leno an 11:oo p.m. time slot which seems to be more valuable. NBC could choose to keep Leno although the network promised Leno's show to Conan. NBC also said that the network would like to hire Leno on some other capacity.
Sony is rumored to be willing to offer Leno not only a $40 million dollar salary but also ownership of his show and a show that would run after his show. Although the perks are great Sony cannot offer Leno an 11:30 p.m. timeslot on a network. The time slot seems to be an important issue in nabbing the Leno.
Conan will take over the show at some point next year and Jimmy Fallon is rumored to take over Conan's late show.
Email
Print
Share
del.icio.us
facebook
newsvine
reddit
stumbleupon
technorati