Ryan Seacrest’s radio reign continues.
The entertainment mogul has inked a new, expanded deal with iHeartMedia. Seacrest will remain a key advisor for the company, continuing to work closely with CEO Bob Pittman and president Rich Bressler, and as a top personality across all of iHeartRadio’s platforms. Seacrest also will develop new ways to connect advertisers and consumers and will provide input into all of the company’s major events and initiatives and host tent-pole events like the iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Music Awards.
As part of his new three-year pact, Seacrest will continue hosting and producing L.A.’s top-rated morning drive-time show for iHeart’s 102.7 KISS-FM as well as the nationally-syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, too. Though a Seacrest rep declined to discuss financial terms of the deal, his last pact was said to pay him $25 million; a new, expanded one likely amounts to 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. 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,” Pittman noted in a statement announcing the news Monday.
Added Seacrest: “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. I’m grateful for the support of Bob and Rich. Their continued confidence fuels my creative spirit and inspires me to do a job I’ve loved since I was 15-years-old.”
The news comes as Seacrest is set to expand his TV presence as well. On July 21st, his latest unscripted, wish-fulfillment series, Knock Knock Live, will bow on Fox. He’ll be back on the same network this spring for the final season of long-running singing competition American Idol. He’ll also continue as the front-man for ABC’s Rockin’ New Years Eve and is likely to be part of NBC’s Olympics coverage in Rio. Seacrest’s contract with E!, for which he hosts the network’s major red carpet shows, runs through September’s Emmy telecast, though it wouldn’t be surprising if that role continues as well.
Earlier this spring, Seacrest inked a major deal with Endemol for the unscripted division of his eponymous production company, which produces the Kardashian franchise as well as recently renewed Shahs of Sunset and ABC Family’s transgender docuseries Becoming Us. On the scripted side, where Ryan Seacrest Productions has a deal with CBS TV Studios, the company is at work on NBC’s Shades of Blue starring Jennifer Lopez.
