This time next year, Wheel of Fortune will enter a new era – one that’ll see Ryan Seacrest become host after Pat Sajak’s retirement. There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding his new post, much has also been said about Vanna White’s future on the show. Over the past few months, it’s been reported that White has been seeking a new contract. She and the powers that be at Sony Television have reportedly been going back and forth in regard to the specifics. Now, it would seem that White has finally landed a new contract. But given the details we have on it, one has to wonder if she’s planning to make a quick exit.
The star has agreed to return to the long-running game show for a total of two years. That means she’ll remain the program's signature letter-turner through the 2025-2026 TV season. This was confirmed via a press release shared by CBS Media Ventures. While this is wonderful news to hear, some people scratching their heads over the length of the deal.
In the past, both Vanna White and Pat Sajak have seemingly seen extensions that run for three or more additional years. While two years is still notable, it’s interesting that she didn’t agree to a longer deal. It’s hard to say how that particular number was reached, but it could be possible that she doesn’t want to remain within the Seacrest regime all that long. Plus, 66-year-old White has been at this gig for a while, so she could be nearly ready to call it a day.
TMZ also makes note of a few more intriguing details regarding what allegedly happened at the bargaining table. First off, she’s set to receive a “substantial pay increase” as a result of the new contract. It would also appear that there are still a number of logistics that still need to be worked out, though. Her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, also told the news outlet that he was involved in “very difficult negotiations” with Sony TV on behalf of his client. While we don’t know exactly how much this new deal is worth, it’s said that Freedman wanted the veteran TV starlet to earn a salary that’s at least half of what her current on-air partner earns.
Vanna White Pays Tribute To Bob Barker With Throwback To Her Price Is Right Appearance
Money (unsurprisingly) has reportedly been a major point of contention when it comes to Vanna White’s attempts to reach a new deal. During these past few months, insiders have claimed that cash is a major reason why White and Sony haven’t been on the same page. As the public learned earlier this year, Pat Sajak has reportedly been earning $15 million per season, while White has made $3 million a season for the past 18 years. Sources previously suggested that the studio should “do the right thing” and pay White, because Sony could risk angering fans if she decided to walk away from the series.
Though from the jump, the head honchos at the studio said they had no plans to eliminate the game-show hostess from WoF. It was later alleged, however, that she was “disappointed” with the producers for not giving her a fair chance to take over her longtime colleague’s lead hosting spot. Despite that, sources said she held no ill will towards Ryan Seacrest and was more than open to working with him. We just now have to wonder how long that partnership might last.
Regardless of the length of her new contract, it’s just wonderful to know Vanna White will remain with Wheel of Fortune for at least a few more years. It’ll be intriguing to see how she and Ryan Seacrest play off each other once he steps into Pat Sajak’s post in the fall of 2024. And what I’ll also be waiting to see is what she ends up doing once this revised contract is up in 2026.
Wheel of Fortune airs Monday through Friday, so be sure to check your local listings to find out when it airs for you.
