American Idol may be on its last legs, but Ryan Seacrest is still considered one of the most valuable people in entertainment. Even if his biggest television project is on the way out, his radio empire is still going strong, which earned the host/producer another three-year deal with iHeartRadio. The deal will ensure that Seacrest will continue to host over American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, On Air With Ryan Seacrest and his Los Angeles morning show with KISS-FM.
"I've been active in everything from broadcast radio to digital, from television to social media and more -and the wonderful thing about my extended relationship with iHeartMedia is that it ties everything together," the host said. "I'm grateful for the support of Bob and Rich [Bressler]. Their continued confidence fuels my creative spirit and inspires me to do a job I've loved since I was 15-years-old."
Neither party gave any indication what the value of the new deal is, but Billboard reports that Seacrest was paid $25 million for his last three-year gig. We can only imagine that the new contract is worth that and perhaps a few million more.
"In the new iHeartMedia, where we connect our fans to their favorite programming and music-and advertisers to consumers-innovation and creativity is more important than ever," said iHeartRadio CEO Bob Pittman. "Ryan is unique, standing alone in today's world as someone who crosses all media as an expert on both the talent and business sides, and we are fortunate to have him as a member of our core team."
That might sound like enough to make a living, but Seacrest's television empire is still going strong, even with Idol fading to black. His desirability is evident in the fact that he has projects with almost all of the major networks: He's producing a new reality program, Knock Knock Live, on FOX this summer, he'll continue to host the Rockin' New Year's Eve on ABC and is expected to take part in NBC's Olympic coverage next year.
Oh, and maybe you've heard of the Kardashian family? Seacrest's production company handles their shows as well.
