Conan will be offered a spot late night on Fox.”
Conan has a contract which runs for 4 more years, to a total of 80 million.
I don’t think he can go to Fox with that money on the table in his contract. I don’t think Fox will pay more.
I read the other day that Conan can leave whenever the hell he wants and his contract states that when he does, NBC has to pay him the remaining amount of his contract salary.
He has an “out” clause in the contract that keeps NBC from moving him, personally, anywhere but 11:35. The penalty isn’t $40 million but it’s nice enough that he won’t have to worry about not working until Fall when Fox would be ready for his new show. NBC can move the Tonight Show wherever they want, but they promised Conan the 11:35 slot.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/01/conan-obriens-conundrum-.html