26-05-2025
Karl Stefanovic and his Today co-host Sarah Abo's HUGE pay gap exposed in TV Rich List - as Nine's male stars earn over a million dollars more than their female colleagues
Disputes over pay parity in TV Land could be set to erupt again following a bombshell report revealing the salaries of Australian television's brightest stars.
The Australian's inaugural TV Rich List report claimed that Nine star Karl Stefanovic is currently being paid an eye-watering $2million more than his Today show co-host Sarah Abo.
The report has collated the 35 highest salaries among TV stars on Australia's three commercial networks - Channel Seven, Nine and Network 10.
It revealed that Stefanovic, 50, is the highest paid small screen star, bringing home a formidable $2.8million annually, making almost three times as much as Abo, 39.
This is in stark contrast to his Today counterpart who comes in at tenth place with a salary of $800,000.
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It was also reported that Stefanovic's salary is almost as much as sitting chief executive Matt Stanton ($1.6 million) and his predecessor Mike Sneesby ($1.5 million) combined.
It appears that Nine has the deepest pockets out of the three commercial networks, with six of its stars making the top ten.
The Block host Scott Cam trailed close behind Stefanovic on $2.4million, while Lego Masters star Hamish Blake sits third on $2million.
The top ten Nine contingent is rounded out by newsreaders Alison Langdon ($1.2million), Peter Overton ($1 million) and Abo.
Meanwhile Seven's highest paid star, Gold Logie winner Larry Emdur sits in fourth place at $1.6million, while Sunrise host Natalie Barr came in fifth on $1.3million.
Meanwhile, Network Ten did not feature in the top ten at all, with their highest paid star Waleed Aly coming in at number 12 on $700,000.
Stefanovic wears a few different caps at Nine, having worked as a reporter on 60 Minutes. He has also filled in for presenters on Nine Radio (formerly Macquarie Media) stations 2GB and 4BC
This is also in stark contrast to Aly's Project co-star Sarah Harris, who clocked in at number 24 on $500,000 - $200,000 less than her co-host.
While there is quite a considerable gulf in salary between Stefanovic and Abo, the former has been in the Today chair for almost two decades while his co-host joined in 2023.
Stefanovic wears a few different caps at Nine, having worked as a reporter on 60 Minutes as well as helming the short-lived series, This Time Next Year.
He has also filled in for presenters on Nine Radio (formerly Macquarie Media) stations 2GB and 4BC.
Former Network Ten producer Rob McKnight told the publication these eye-watering salaries could soon be a thing of the past with the exception of the breakfast stars.
'The days of big network contracts are long gone,' he told the publication.
'With smaller revenues, TV networks can't afford to have big stars sitting on contracts doing nothing.'
'While there are still some exceptions due to historical deals, performers are more likely to be paid on a per show basis,' he added.
'The exception to this rule is news and breakfast shows. As these shows go all year round, hosts are signed up to multi-year contracts.'
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Nine for comment.
It's not the first time discussions about pay parity have popped up around Stefanovic, with his former co-host Lisa Wilkinson leaving the network in 2017 over a reported salary dispute.
The Australian had previously reported that Karl was earning at least $2 million a year in a three-year contract, with a potential bonus that could take his salary to $3 million if ratings were hit.
Lisa was also was said by the Daily Telegraph to have been on a $1.1 million-a-year contract, with Nine only willing to increase the amount to $1.8million.
The amount was claimed to have not been enough for her to stay with the network and she defected to Ten where she co-hosted The Project.
Nine CEO Hugh Marks spoke out on the claims, saying he offered Lisa $1.8million, but that she asked for $2.3 million.
'I went to an incredible amount of trouble to build that [$1.8million] package for her. She wanted $2.3million,' he told the publication.
