Does Ryan Seacrest’s Wheel Of Fortune Contract Actually Include A $28 Million Annual Salary To Be The New Host?

After Ryan Seacrest co-created Keeping Up With The Kardashians, it was clear that he was going to be a big name in the reality TV genre. Andy Cohen and Seacrest are both huge successes and have worked on shows that have been fan favorites for several years. Now, Ryan Seacrest has been chosen to host Wheel of Fortune now that Pat Sajak announced his retirement. And that seems to come with a massive salary…

As soon as Seacrest was announced as the new host of Wheel of Fortune, word got out that he could earn $28 million per season. Is this really true? What kind of money is the well-known host going to make once he begins this job in 2024?

Is Ryan Seacrest Being Paid $28 Million To Host Wheel Of Fortune?

Pat Sajak earned $15 million each year when he hosted Wheel of Fortune. That makes sense given that he was a fan favorite and that the show has enjoyed high ratings for years and years. It’s amazing to think that he was the host for 41 seasons. Sajak was first hired in 1981. According to The New York Times, he didn’t plan on quitting entirely and wanted to consult on the show.

Will Ryan Seacrest earn $28 million every year when he takes over as Wheel of Fortune host? According to Radar Online, a source said that this is true.

Radar Online reported that he would be “the highest-paid person on television” if he was chosen to host the game show.

Seacrest hasn’t confirmed the salary himself. It seems like he would be paid at least $15 million for each season if that is what Pat Sajak was making. And if Seacrest is going to earn even more than Sajak, that would be because of his experience with the reality TV genre.

After he co-created Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the show aired for 20 seasons. And while not many people have likely heard of The Million Second Quiz, a show that aired for one season in 2013, he was the host of it. He definitely has a lot of experience that will make him perfect for Wheel of Fortune.

According to Variety, Seacrest is excited about making this career move. He said, “I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak.”

Seacrest continued, “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them. One of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merv Griffin 25 years ago so, this is truly a full circle moment for me and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity. I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”

It’s a huge deal for the star to host Wheel of Fortune. The game show began airing in 1975. For many, watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy is a huge part of their nighttime routines, and they never want to give this habit up. And while this new job will keep Seacrest busy, he seems to enjoy having a lot to do. He has been steadily working in the reality TV genre for several decades now and always seems to have something thrilling going on.

Before Seacrest was announced as the Wheel of Fortune host, People reported that Vanna White was going to get a raise. The publication reported that she was paid $3 million for every season and that she hadn’t gotten a raise in almost 20 years.

How Much Is Ryan Seacrest’s Annual Salary?

If Ryan Seacrest does make $28 million for each season of Wheel of Fortune, that will add to his already very high net worth. The TV host has a $450 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The website reported that every year, he makes $60 million-$80 million.

Seacrest is no stranger to being a TV or radio host. Besides being the voice behind two radio shows, On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40, Seacrest has been a host on Live With Kelly and Ryan and American Idol.

Ryan Seacrest is used to being on camera and has been for years. Fans loved seeing him and Kelly Ripa banter as hosts of Live With Kelly and Ryan,

In an interview with Variety in 2023, he shared that while he knew that working in TV would make him happy, he also thought that he could cook for a living. But he is definitely happy with where his career has gone.

Seacrest told Variety that he really loves being a TV host. He said, “It’s all I ever wanted. It’s all I ever set out to do. When I think about the days where I would watch Dick Clark host New Year’s Eve, sitting on a shag carpet in the basement, I’d think to myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be in Times Square as a reveler one day watching this happen?’ It still flashes to my mind that I didn’t have it at one point, so to have it is still exciting.”

It seems likely that Ryan Seacrest will love hosting Wheel of Fortune. He has talked a lot about how much he enjoys being an American Idol host.

In May 2023, he explained to Entertainment Tonight that it’s gratifying to watch contestants follow their dreams on the reality show. He said, “We see them with their normal jobs and they just come in for this audition. They don’t know where it’s gonna go. They end up looking like glamour superstars onstage and like they’ve done it for 20 years.”