Nine still the one when it comes to the big bucks
A breakdown of Australian television’s most-paid network stars shows that Nine is still using its chequebook to keep top-rating talent loyal.
The inaugural edition of The Australian’s Television Rich List was published over the weekend, featuring the country’s 35 top-paid television personalities.
The News Corp publication compiled the list after spending a week “meeting senior executives with intimate knowledge” on salary matters. The list features on-air talent only, meaning the likes of Nine’s CEO Matt Stanton, who is earning $1.6 million annually, aren’t included in the list.
Likewise, those who straddle on-air and off-air duties aren’t featured. This means high-earners such as Eddie McGuire, whose production company JAM TV produces a number of sporting shows across a number of networks, don’t make the list.
Nine talent makes up the top three highest-paid (“salaried”) television stars in the country, with the network employing six of the top 10 earners.
Karl Stefanovic tops the list with a $2.8 million salary, earning $2 million more than his Today co-host Sarah Abo, who sits in tenth place, on $800,000 a year.
The Block star Scott Cam, and Hamish Blake from Lego Masters, are the next top-paid in the country, earning $2.4 million and $2 million, respectively.
Seven’s highest-paid star is Gold-Logie winner and 5pm ratings king Larry Emdur, who is on a cool $1.6 million a year, ahead of Sunrise host Natalie Barr on $1.3 million, and Sonia Kruger on $1.2 million.
Ten’s highest earner is Waleed Aly, who earns $700,000 to helm The Project, 12th overall. Aly sits ahead of correspondent Hugh Riminton, who is on $550,000, and Sarah Ferguson, on $500,000. These are the only three Ten stars to make the list.
Leigh Sales is the ABC’s highest earner, with a salary of $440,000 – the only employee of the national broadcaster in the top 35.
Interestingly, Seven talent made up 16 of the top 35, while Nine stars made up 15.
Check out the entire list here.
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Interesting – like I get that stars draw audiences and audiences draw advertisers (as long as you are happy to sell to gen x), but some of those ‘stars’ would have earned more than the 200 or so people that Nine cut in 2024, plus they have several more million $ earmarked in ‘savings’ coming up, no doubt hard working Australians with families and if they are lucky enough, mortgages.
All over paid not one off them worth listening to