Ryan Seacrest bags $45m for American Idol

Despite ‘American Idol’ sinking in last season’s ratings, Ryan Seacrest has now closed a deal that keeps him aboard for another three years.

The 34-year old host has inked a three-season contract - at $15-million a year.

Believed to be the single largest paycheck ever offered a reality host, the new pact boosts Ryan’s salary by a factor of three, and ties him to CKX [the parent company of ‘Idol’s producers, ‘19 Entertainment,’] to host for them, and them only in the medium of broadcast, prime-time TV. [He has separate deals with both Comcast and E! Television for cable shows.]

With Ryan’s deal now done, the suits down at Fox are focused on keeping his judges on-board. As he does every year when the show’s on hiatus, Simon Cowell has been making self-serving pronouncements that he ‘might’ leave the show when his contract expires at the end of next season.

Reports have placed the ransom demand for ‘changing his mind’ at $100+ million a year.

The other three judges — Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi are all keen to return, and should offer no problems - So the show will be back. With the largest ratings in US prime-time TV, Fox just can’t afford to let go.

Source: HR