Conan O’Brien opens up about reaching 'more people' after leaving late-night

Even though Conan O’Brien stepped away from late-night television nearly five years ago, he’s still managing to catch a wide audience for his insights.

The 6x Emmy-awarded comedian, who is at the helm of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast and the HBO/Max travel series Conan O’Brien Must Go, mentioned that he possibly connects with “a larger audience now” since his TBS show Conan concluded in 2021, clarifying that the typical talk show setup “is fading away.”

“I wrapped up my late-night show four years back. It’s been an amazing journey,” O’Brien shared with the New Yorker. “I suspect I reach more people these days, either through the podcast or while hosting the travel show.”

Prior to his 11-year tenure on TBS, O’Brien was at the helm of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (2009-’10) as well as Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1993-2009).

“I have all this liberty to express myself in various ways, across different platforms,” he elaborated. “There are so many incredible chances, and I’ve been loving it, engaging in conversations that wouldn’t have been possible in that old ‘You’re up in the attic’ setup.”

O’Brien added, “It seems this old format is being phased out, but in their place, many new avenues are emerging to engage with audiences, showcase humor, offer satire, and explore creatively, which is, in some ways, more liberating.”

O’Brien’s observations come in light of CBS’s announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will conclude in May, following ABC’s hiatus of Jimmy Kimmel Live.