Howard Stern: The King Of All Media And His Financial Success

Howard Stern has a job that many of us would take for grocery money – chatting in his plush studio with some of the most fascinating figures in the world. But you or I don't have the audience that Stern's built for himself over the years, one that Sirius XM satellite radio famously pays through the nose to get. Howard joined Sirius in 2006 when the satellite platform had only 600,000 subscribers and was losing $226 million annually on revenues of $13 million. Fast forward to today, and SiriusXM boasts 35 million paying subscribers, generating $1.8 billion in profits on $7.2 billion in revenue!

Before landing at Sirius, Howard was making an impressive $30 million per year from Viacom terrestrial radio. When he made the switch to Sirius, he signed a five-year contract worth $500 million, which meant he was paid $100 million per year, with $80 million in cash and $20 million in stock. However, it's essential to note that this amount covers all production costs associated with his show, meaning that Howard has to manage show salaries and production expenses out of his earnings.

In 2010, he renewed his contract with another lucrative five-year deal worth $500 million. By December 2015, Stern had signed yet another five-year deal with Sirius. Most recently, on December 9, 2020, it was confirmed that Howard signed a five-year extension worth around $120 million per year, totaling $600 million! This impressive financial backing emphasizes his worth and influence in the media industry.

Salary Per Show

We estimate that his co-hosts, Robin and Gary, earn $10 million and $4 million per year, respectively, totaling $14 million. If we conservatively assume additional costs of $10-15 million, Howard would be left with approximately $90 million from his $120 million income before taxes and agent fees. Agents typically take around 10%, which lowers his final amount to about $80 million. After taxes, he might see around $40 million net income per year.

If Howard maintains his current schedule of three new shows per week for roughly 40 weeks a year, that equates to 120 shows annually. With $40 million in net earnings, this means Howard Stern makes around $333,333 per show! That's essentially a brand new Ferrari every time he hits the airwaves!

Stern is also experiencing a career renaissance in the publishing world. In May 2019, he published Howard Stern Comes Again, which features transcripts of some of his best interviews. This book includes conversations with famous guests like Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld, and Lady Gaga, along with new commentary from Stern himself. While the exact earnings from this book remain undisclosed, it's clear that Simon & Schuster was eager to work with him again, suggesting a generous advance and compensation.

While he may be a hit TV show and movie away from being crowned the King of All Media, Howard Stern is undeniably making a significant amount of money every year!