Conan O’Brien Says Late Night Shows Are “In Trouble” Ahead of the Oscars

The comedy titan reflects on viral internet interviews, late-night shakeups, and the changing television landscape.

Comedian Conan O’Brien speaks about, Hot Ones, late-night television and Oscar hosting in a new Hollywood Reporter interview. Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

Comedy master Conan O’Brien is spilling a few thoughts in a brand new interview just ahead of this weekend’s Oscars.

The longtime late-night titan recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter, where the conversation turned to everything from Oscar hosting jitters to the rapidly shifting world of television comedy.

One moment in particular stuck with him.

After his viral appearance on the massively popular online interview series “Hot Ones,” O’Brien says the changing media landscape suddenly became very clear.

Speaking about the cancellation of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and the momentary suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, O’Brien reflected on how dramatically the late-night ecosystem has evolved.

“That was the moment the scales fell from my eyes,” O’Brien explained.
“If a guy can do World Series numbers with overhead that looked, to me, to be about $600, and you have every big star lining up to do his show or Chicken Shop Date… that’s when I profoundly understood that late night shows are in trouble.”

Low-cost digital interview shows have quickly become major cultural forces — sometimes pulling in viewership numbers that rival or even surpass traditional television programs.

For someone who helped define the modern era of late-night television, the observation carries weight.

But O’Brien, of course, is still approaching the moment with humor.

Preparing to host the Academy Awards, he joked that his preparation has included some slightly extreme rehearsal tactics.

“I had a scale Dolby Theatre built in my basement,” O’Brien quipped.
“I’ve run through the Oscars 75 times… and it’s starting to be diminishing returns.”

Despite the jokes, the comedian says the Oscars remain one of the rare entertainment events that still bring audiences together.

“There are fewer and fewer things that bring us together,” he said.
“So it’s nice to be talking to a large audience not just in our country, but around the world. It’s a global event.”

For O’Brien, the job of Oscar host isn’t just delivering punchlines — it’s also reading the emotional temperature of the room.

“My main goal is to entertain,” he said.
“But another thing I need to provide is empathy.”

And sometimes that means consoling the many nominees who leave without a statue.

“I’m backstage telling people they’re better off without an Oscar… which of course isn’t true,” he laughed.

For someone who spent decades shaping late-night television, O’Brien now finds himself watching a new media era unfold — one where viral interviews, YouTube platforms, and online comedy formats are increasingly shaping the cultural conversation.

Watch Conan O’Brien’s full Oscar prep interview below.