14 DAY TRIAL // You probably wouldn’t say so when you read his tweets or you hear him speak on the radio, because he’s very down to earth, but Ryan Seacrest is officially the king of reality TV – and he will make $55 million this year because of it, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.
Back when Ryan renegotiated his contract as host of American Idol in the summer of 2009 and he got producers to triple his paycheck – $15 million for each of the following 3 seasons –, it was clear that he was making good money.
But Ryan is doing a lot more these days than just host AI and talk on his radio show. Therefore, his paycheck is bigger than that, to the tune of $55 million, which virtually makes him the hot shot of reality television.
Besides music and working on going into film as well, Ryan is behind several successful reality shows as producer. The Kardashian franchise is only the best example of that, THR notes.
He may be only 36 and not able to sing, act or dance, but he knows a good business when he sees one, which explains why the Seacrest empire is constantly expanding and, yes, constantly earning him more money.
“Seacrest will earn more than $55 million this year, thanks to a radio contract with Clear Channel (valued at roughly $20 million per year), a television pact with American Idol-parent CKX (another $15 million a year) and a mega-deal with what is now NBC Universal, which is responsible for such TV projects as the red-hot Kardashian franchise,” THR says.
“Also included are his many specials (including Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve) and partnerships with brands, including Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Proctor & Gamble,” the magazine adds.
It also bestows upon him the title of “king of reality TV.”
As noted above, Seacrest is not going to stop here. He has this special ability to spot and set trends, so he’s permanently busy with new projects, some of which also involve dabbing into film and more music.
If you ask him what he’d call himself, Ryan tells THR he would append to his name “busy” or “tired” or even both.