A-list stars are making big bucks to host network reality TV and game shows

Variety

Jamie Foxx, Ellen DeGeneres, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are pulling in big paychecks per episode for their respective primetime reality TV and game shows. “Once you’ve invested $25 million to launch a show, if another $3 million to $5 million (in host fees) makes the difference between success or failure, it’s worth it,” a veteran agent tells The Hollywood Reporter, adding that success in the U.S. market also frequently determines the prices format rights will fetch in other markets. Mark Burnett, who produces Foxx's Beat Shazam and Hart's TKO: Total Knockout, adds: “These are people who are really, really good at what they do. If you want to have that level of capability on the screen combined with the marketing value of a star and the umbrella effect it has on promotion for the network, you have to pay them.”