Forbes has published its annual list of the highest-paid TV hosts of 2025 highlighting how traditional linear TV continues to generate massive revenue despite streaming competition.
The article emphasizes that sports commentators and celebrity chefs dominate the top spots, reflecting the high value of live events and food programming.
Collectively, the top 25 hosts earned an estimated $582 million, with sports personalities claiming eight of those positions due to lucrative broadcast rights deals.
🎤Key Highlights
- Top Earner: Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion turned Fox NFL analyst, leads with $37.5 million annually. His deal includes stock compensation and promotional duties, making it one of the most valuable in sports broadcasting history.
- Celebrity Chefs' Dominance: Food Network stars Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay tie for second place at $33 million each, boosted by their expansive media empires, including shows, books, and endorsements.
- Women in the Spotlight: The list features strong female representation, with three women in the top 10: Judy Sheindlin ($30 million from her courtroom series), Rachel Maddow ($25 million for MSNBC), and Robin Roberts ($25 million as co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America). Savannah Guthrie ($24 million) and Kelly Ripa ($22 million) round out the top 15.
- Late-Night Challenges: Despite cancellations like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (which reportedly lost CBS $40 million yearly), hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel each earn $16 million, while Colbert makes $15 million—solid but far below sports and food stars.
- Other Notables: ESPN's Troy Aikman ($18 million) and Joe Buck ($16 million) underscore sports' premium, while Roberts' longevity on GMA (over 20 years) secures her as ABC's top talent.
The full top 25 includes more late-night and news anchors like Jimmy Kimmel ($16M, #24) and Stephen Colbert ($15M). Forbes notes that these figures are pre-tax estimates, excluding endorsements or other ventures.
This story underscores TV's shift toward high-stakes live content like sports and evergreen formats like cooking, even as late-night struggles. For the complete list and methodology, check the original Forbes article.