Television's Top Earners: Long-Term Contracts Lock In Eight-Figure Pay Through 2026
Between 2020 and 2024, some of the biggest salaries in television emerged from long-term contracts, according to sources like Forbes and Variety. Judy Sheindlin led the pack, making about $47 million each year during her last seasons of "Judge Judy," and her "Judy Justice" deal was valued at over $95 million for four years. Phil McGraw peaked at around $79 million annually, benefiting from production stakes. Steve Harvey's earnings ranged from $40 million to $45 million, thanks to "Family Feud." Kelly Ripa has been making over $20 million a year on "Live," now called "Live with Kelly and Mark." Meanwhile, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck earn about $18 million and $15 million respectively at ESPN.
Key facts
- Judy Sheindlin earned roughly $47 million a year in the final seasons of "Judge Judy," which ran 25 seasons before ending in 2021
- Phil McGraw's "Dr. Phil" ran 21 seasons before its first-run syndication cycle ended in 2023; Merit Street Media filed for Chapter 11 in July 2025
- Troy Aikman's 2022 ESPN contract pays about $18 million a year over five years, with Joe Buck at roughly $15 million on a parallel deal
- Tony Romo signed a 10-year CBS Sports extension in 2020 worth about $17 million annually
- Kelly Ripa joined "Live" in 2001; the program was retitled "Live with Kelly and Mark" when Mark Consuelos became co-host in 2023
- Ryan Seacrest took over "Wheel of Fortune" in 2024 after Pat Sajak hosted the syndicated edition for 41 seasons
- CBS announced in 2025 that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" would end in May 2026
- Jimmy Fallon has hosted "The Tonight Show" since February 2014, taping at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York
Entities
Artists
- Judy Sheindlin
- Phil McGraw
- Steve Harvey
- Kelly Ripa
- Mark Consuelos
- Ryan Seacrest
- Jimmy Fallon
- Troy Aikman
- Joe Buck
- Tony Romo
- Al Michaels
- Pat Sajak
- Regis Philbin
- Michael Strahan
- Kirk Herbstreit
- Jim Nantz
- Stephen Colbert
- Oprah Winfrey
- Jack Buck
- Joe Davis
- Mike Tirico
Institutions
- ESPN
- CBS
- CBS Sports
- NBC
- ABC
- Fox
- Amazon
- Amazon Prime Video
- Freevee
- IMDb TV
- Forbes
- Sportico
- The New York Times
- Variety
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Harpo Productions
- Merit Street Media
- Milojo Productions
- Sony Pictures Television
- Disney
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Dallas Cowboys
- Saturday Night Live
- American Idol
- Family Feud
- Wheel of Fortune
- The Tonight Show
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Good Morning America
- Live with Kelly and Mark
- Judge Judy
- Judy Justice
- Dr. Phil
- The Oprah Winfrey Show
- Miss Universe
- Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Manhattan
- Texas
- California
- St. Louis
- Candlestick Park
- 30 Rockefeller Center
- Eastern Illinois
Sources
- Quartz —