On Monday morning, news broke that Kelly Ripa has picked Ryan Seacrest as her new Live co-host, finally filling Michael Strahan's long-vacant post after his abrupt departure in April 2016. It's a fitting choice: Seacrest has a decorated resume, and, throughout his two-decade tenure in the industry, his name has become practically synonymous with hosting. But his lengthy array of on and off-air gigs also means he's high in demand, and you may be wondering: what Ryan Seacrest's Live salary is?
Thus far, there has been no official confirmation on Seacrest's price tag, but there are a few good guesses to be made. (Bustle reached out to both Live and Seacrest's representatives for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.) As of October 2016, Forbes pegged Ripa's Live salary at an estimated $17 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that's allegedly slightly more than Seacrest's reported $15 million salary during his 14-year hosting gig on American Idol.
And it's higher than some of his earnings for other ventures, too. In 2015, Billboard valued his three-year deal with iHeartMedia — which includes On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest — at a reported $25 million or more, which boils down to at least $8.3 million per year. He also serves as an executive producer for the Kardashian-Jenner family's stable of reality series, a host and executive producer for Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve, and a host for E!'s Live From the Red Carpet. The terms for those contracts remain unclear, though Forbes estimates Seacrest's annual salary at an alleged $55 million.
So, if Seacrest's Live salary matches his new co-host's alleged one, it's actually a step up for the veteran entertainer — at least in comparison to what numbers have been estimated.
Of course, it's a well-deserved win regardless of the true cost, but a bolstered income would certainly sweeten the deal to me.
