“Wheel of Fortune,” which premiered in 1975, is still an American TV staple, with more than 8.5 million people tuning in each night. Pat Sajak has hosted the game show for more than four decades, and plans to step down next year. He’ll be replaced by Ryan Seacrest. Vanna White, who’s been turning letters on the show since 1982, has one year left on her contract before it expires.
Puck News’ Matt Belloni says this marks an extraordinary time for White, who has not received a pay raise in more than 18 years. She currently makes $3 million a year.
“Vanna is arguably more associated with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ than even Pat Sajak. … ‘Wheel’ producers — Sony Television — get over $100 million in revenue each year from this show. And they want consistency. This is the first change to the host in 40 years. And Vanna is in an interesting spot because they want her to stay on for a measure of consistency on the show.”
He adds, “They recognize that she has a value. Female viewers really respond to her, especially in the research that they have. This is a formula that is exported around the world. There is a Vanna in every country that airs ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and does their own version, and she is part of the format.”
It’s unclear how much money Seacrest will earn, but the role will likely give him much-needed flexibility.
“Because of the taping schedule, it only works out to between four and six weeks a year of shooting. So it's an amazing gig for someone like Seacrest who has other jobs like his radio show, ‘American Idol,’ New Year's Eve. … He can now add ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to it. He can keep himself on television every night. And he can make eight figures as well.”
So what keeps viewers tuned into “Wheel of Fortune?” Belloni chalks it up to the appeal of the classic game of Hangman.
“It's a spelling game that anyone can play. You got 7-year-olds playing Hangman. You've got 77-year-olds who've played these kinds of games. They've managed to update it,” he explains. “There are intro puzzles, and there are secondary puzzles. And you're getting up into the double digits in puzzle solves for each game, which keeps the audience interested.”
Plus, there’s the glamor.
“They have the big prizes, and they have the wheel spinning. … It feels almost like Vegas, and you've got Vanna and her fancy outfits.”