Why Daytime TV Hosts Rake In The Big Bucks

Do you like watching TV at 11 in the morning on a Wednesday?

I do. And one thing that always amazes me is how low-quality the programing is.

Soap operas and cop shows have some of the worst writing and acting of all-time. In a recent program I watched, a lady murdered her best friend to steal the friend’s idea for “the most popular video game ever.”

Because that’s how game design works…

But enough about dramas. The real topic I want to discuss are low-effort gameshows and reality TV series.

Specifically, why the people hosting these programs outearn viral YouTube stars. I’ve discussed this topic before when comparing Judge Judy’s income to Mr. Beast’s.

But I want to delve further into the business aspects.

Drew Carey’s contract for The Price Is Right is estimated at $12.5 million per year.

According to U.S. Television Database, The Price Is Right has an average daily viewership of 3,752,000. A huge audience. But there are YouTubers who put out daily content and receive a similar number of views.

For example, popular YouTuber penguinz0. Someone who generates about 2–3 million views per video.