Katy Perry’s big $25 million payday at “American Idol” has created huge drama at ABC and at the relaunched singing competition.
The “Firework” singer’s deal left “pennies” for fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. We’re told that Ryan Seacrest’s hefty salary of about $15 million also cut deeply into the budget.
“ABC was originally going to spend no more than $50 million on talent. They had to expand their budget for Lionel,” one TV insider told us.
An ABC network source told us the decision to cough up such an obscene amount for Perry was the doing of CEO/President Ben Sherwood, who personally signed off on the talent deals.
“Ben Sherwood blew the budget on Katy without thinking how that would impact other areas of the show budget. He gambled on her because of her appeal to a younger audience and huge social-media following. But Katy is effectively taking money from the other judges, who then had to be paid way less,” the source said.
Then the fireworks ignited with Bryan and Richie. “The negotiations with Luke and Lionel have been fraught and difficult because of [Katy’s paycheck]. They expected similar deals to Katy, but are, in fact, getting a hell of a lot less. In the end, ABC had to cough up a second round of money to sign the other judges.”
“Idol” initially offered Richie and Bryan a measly $2.5 million each to take the gig, but the offended singers demanded more, and refused to sign their deals, which postponed ABC’s big talent announcement. “As of last week, their contracts were not done. Sherwood authorized ABC to cough up more money. They’re both making about $7 million each now. This has become a very expensive show. If ‘Idol’ doesn’t work, it will blow up big time in Sherwood’s face. If it does work, he’s a genius,” the network source said.
Despite numerous sources describing the drama over the show deals, an ABC rep claimed to Page Six that it’s “not true. Ben never had to get involved, and the deals were done within the original ABC talent budget for the show.”