With Pat Sajak retiring and Ryan Seacrest set to take over next year, all eyes are on longtime star Vanna White. In theory, she’s the perfect bridge to transition between one phase of Wheel Of Fortune to the next, but if the latest rumors are to be believed, the new contract that would keep her on the show for years to come isn’t exactly ready to be signed yet. She recently lawyered up, and the subsequent negotiations are apparently not going well.
The Internet has been awash with stories over the last week or so about Vanna White and her salary situation. She reportedly makes about $3M a year and outside of bonuses, has not gotten an official raise in 18 years. Current host Pat Sajak apparently makes $15M a year, and White would understandably like to close that gap. Fans have speculated about how much she’s asking for, and now, TMZ has the figure. The outlet claims White wants half of what Sajak is currently making: a cool $7.5M a year, which would more than double her current contract.
If these reports are to be believed, Sony is not ready to say yes to that demand, at least not yet, though they do want her to stay on. It’s unclear how much budget they’ve earmarked for incoming host Ryan Seacrest, and it’s possible they just don’t view her role on Wheel Of Fortune as being worthy of that kind of money. We don’t really know how Sony feels because executives haven’t weighed in publicly, and there haven’t even been many quotes from alleged insiders about where the studio’s head is at.
White’s case for a raise, however, has been getting out pretty loudly through various sources. She reportedly feels she’s the co-star of the show (which is how she’s introduced), and in many ways, she’s the longtime face of the show. She allegedly believes getting half of what the host makes is fair, and she’s apparently ready to walk away from the popular game show she’s been on for forty years if she doesn’t get compensated.
I can’t speak to the financial situation of the show, but given it’s routinely described as a “cash cow”, I’m going to say there’s extra money floating around somewhere. To me, it’s obvious Vanna White should be getting some of it. She’s long been a fun, enjoyable part of the show, and while Pat Sajak (and pretty soon, Ryan Seacrest) have the heavier lift in terms of screentime and contestant interactions, what she does and the vibe she brings is more than just touching letters on a big board. Her presence matters, and it’s going to matter even more when the show asks longtime viewers to keep watching with a new host.
I’d like to think everyone involved will get on the same page and get this deal done, but until the “very difficult” negotiations are done, I’ll remain cautious.
