Conan O'Brien Gets New Two-Year TBS Deal

TBS executives have decided that one good return on investment clearly deserves another.

Amid rising ratings, Conan O'Brien has signed a new deal with the basic cable network that will keep his late-night hit "Conan" airing through at least April 2014, reports the New York Daily News today.

"I am excited to continue my run with TBS because they have been fantastic partners," a statement released by O'Brien said. "This means I'll be taping episodes of 'Conan' well into the Ron Paul presidency."

The "Conan" success has the network batting .500 with late-night shows lately. Though O'Brien has found himself a home, the network didn't offer comedian George Lopez a new deal to continue "Lopez Tonight," despite he and O'Brien achieving a late-night first by becoming the first hosts to be guests on each other's show in adjoining time slots.

The friendly ginger giant even offered Lopez, with whom he's good friends, his condolences following the cancelation.

As O'Brien notes in the speech shown above, the future didn't always look so cemented. It was just two years ago that he took over hosting "The Tonight Show" when NBC granted former host Jay Leno his own show at 10 PM ET/PT, an hour before O'Brien's. When Leno's show tanked, NBC brass moved that they would give Leno his "Tonight Show" gig back and give O'Brien a show an hour later.

Instead, O'Brien negotiated his exit and signed a deal with TBS. Currently, TBS officials say "Conan" averages 1.1 million viewers per show and has seen its audience grow three consecutive months.

"We are proud to be in business with Conan O'Brien for the long run," said TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies Executive VP Michael Wright. "Night after night, Conan and his team have put together terrific shows that draw a young and fiercely loyal audience. As if that weren't enough, they ahve also built a dynamic online presence that keeps fans engaged like no other show in late night."