The Viacom-owned cable network has handed out a massive five-year contract extension to keep Noah front and center of The Daily Show. The new pact, which runs through 2022, includes annual year-end Daily Show specials hosted and produced by Noah.
“Trevor makes us look smart on a daily basis, and for that we’re grateful,” Comedy Central president Kent Alterman said Thursday in a statement.
The news comes as Noah is approaching his two-year anniversary with The Daily Show. He debuted Sept. 28, 2015, replacing Jon Stewart. Noah earned his first Emmy — for outstanding shortform variety series — for the digital entry Between the Scenes, which he hosted.
The deal keeps Noah in the house through well after the next presidential election after Comedy Central saw a string of top Daily Show talent (Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Samantha Bee, among others) exit to host talk shows for other outlets. (Turner-owned TBS has found success with Full Frontal With Samantha Bee as well as with fellow Daily Show alum Jason Jones’ scripted comedy The Detour, which Bee also produces.)
“I’m thrilled to be continuing this amazing journey with both fans of The Daily Show and Comedy Central. It’s really exciting to renew this contract for either five more years or until Kim Jong Un annihilates us all — whichever one comes first,” said Noah.
The pickup comes as The Daily Show has solidified its audience after launching to a slow start in 2015. Noah helped bring the show to new highs in August — its most watched month ever among total viewers, surpassing NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon among millennials. The frequently political series is on pace to finish the 2016-17 season as the only daily late-night talk show to post year-over-year gains among both total viewers (up 14 percent) and the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic (up 6 percent). It will likely finish the season third in the key demo — besting ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers and CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden. In its second season, Noah’s The Daily Show posted monthly and quarterly gains year-over-year.
The Emmy also cemented the host’s digital prowess, with Daily Show content up 50 percent year-over-year — with more than 2.2 billion views since Noah took over. The Daily Show also boasts as the most upscale and educated audience among ad-supported late-night shows. The gains come as viewers turn to late-night hosts to find humor in the country’s stark political divide.
The pickup comes ahead of the Sept. 25 launch of Comedy Central’s The Opposition With Jordan Klepper, with the Noah-produced entry taking over the post-Daily Show 11:30 p.m. slot previously occupied by The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. The President Show, which was filling in that slot until a permanent replacement was found, will move to midnight after The Opposition launches.
The massive five-year extension for Noah caps a week that saw premium cable network HBO solidify its late-night offerings with renewals to weekly talkers Real Time With Bill Maher and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver through 2020. TBS also extended Conan O’Brien through 2022.
Noah, Steve Bodow, Jen Flanz and Jill Katz executive produce The Daily Show; Justin Melkmann co-exec produces. Max Browning, Eric Davies, Pam DePace, Ramin Hedayati and Elise Terrell supervise. Zhubin Parang serves as head writer, while Daniel Radosh is senior writer. Paul Pennolino directs. Sarah Babineau oversees for Comedy Central. Noah is repped by CAA, Mainstay Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.
