Not Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Fallon: Guess who is the highest-paid TV host of 2025?
Are Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, or Stephen Colbert the highest-paid TV hosts? Or maybe a celebrity chef like Gordon Ramsay? Think again. The world’s top-earning television personality in 2025 isn’t a late-night king or a comic - it’s an unexpected name leading the pack.
Think Jimmy Kimmel is the highest-paid television host? Or maybe one of the late-night kings like Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Fallon? Think again. The biggest TV paycheck of 2025 belongs not to a comedian, but to a sports legend who swapped the field for the broadcast booth.
Meet Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who now tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid television personalities, earning an eye-popping $37.5 million annually as a Fox football analyst.
Who is Tom Brady?
At 48, Tom Brady continues his winning streak on television. After retiring in 2022, Fox signed him in a blockbuster deal to add star power to its NFL broadcasts. Beyond commentary, Brady also represents the network at corporate events — a role that justifies his massive compensation, which reportedly includes company stock.
Where do others stand?
According to Forbes, celebrity chefs Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsay rank second with $33 million, proving food TV’s enduring popularity. Jimmy Kimmel sits much lower at No 24 with a $16 million paycheck.
Fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon also makes $16 million. While The Tonight Show trails in traditional ratings, it dominates digital platforms, and Fallon has expanded into hosting game shows like Password and That’s My Jam. He is also set to front a new NBC reality competition, On Brand, premiering September 30.
Stephen Colbert, meanwhile, earns $15 million. Forbes says he remains a strong contender this awards season, as The Late Show is favoured to win the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series — his first for the CBS show, though he previously won 10 Emmys for The Colbert Report.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the popular late-night show, was unexpectedly pulled off air by Disney following Jimmy Kimmel's comments on Charlie Kirk, who was recently killed in a shooting incident.
Kimmel's comments triggered backlash from right-wing activists and Kirk's supporters, while Disney faced pressure from the Federal Communications Commission and local station owners.