As expected, Ryan Seacrest is joining NBC News as a “special correspondent” for NBC News, including on “Today.”
Seacrest will continue as the managing editor of E! News, as well as E!’s red carpet host, though his regular hosting duties will likely be cut back. Instead, Seacrest will serve as a “special correspondent” for “Today” and “contributes to NBC primetime news and produces and contributes to NBC entertainment programming.” He will also–as previously announced–serve as a correspondent during NBC’s coverage of the 2012 London Olympics.
Seacrest’s deal is so big, that NBCU CEO Steve Burke was the one quoted in the press release.
“Ryan is an extraordinary talent who has been an important part of the Comcast family for a long time,” Burke said in a statement. “We look forward to his continued role on E! and to having him appear on many new places across NBCUniversal, including the TODAY show and at the Olympics. This is a great example of how NBCUniversal is able to provide the perfect home for some of the best people in the business.”
Last year, the rumor was that Matt Lauer was going to leave “Today,” and Seacrest came up as a possible replacement. As we reported at the time, he was widely expected to land some sort of role on the NBC morning show, even if it was not as an anchor.
More information below.
NBCUNIVERSAL ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING MULTI-PLATFORM AGREEMENT WITH TOP TV BROADCASTER RYAN SEACREST
New deal extends current E! on-air hosting, broadcasting and producing duties onto NBC, spanning news, entertainment and sports programming
NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES (April 27, 2012) – NBCUniversal and top television host, broadcaster and Emmy-winning producer Ryan Seacrest have forged a groundbreaking multi-platform agreement that includes on-air, broadcasting and producing duties across the company’s NBC and E! networks. The new two-year deal extends Seacrest’s current on-air presence with E! onto NBC, spanning news, entertainment and sports programming.
“Ryan is an extraordinary talent who has been an important part of the Comcast family for a long time,” said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal. “We look forward to his continued role on E! and to having him appear on many new places across NBCUniversal, including the TODAY show and at the Olympics. This is a great example of how NBCUniversal is able to provide the perfect home for some of the best people in the business.”
“Joining the Comcast family six years ago was a game changing experience for me. My time at E! has enriched my career – both in-front-of and behind-the-camera – for which I am forever grateful,” said Ryan Seacrest. “Today, I am humbled to have the confidence of Steve Burke, Ted Harbert, Bonnie Hammer and many others within the NBCUniversal family, to strategically extend my relationship to encompass NBC programming. I’m especially looking forward to working with all the stellar on-air talents and producing executives involved in NBC’s news, entertainment and sports divisions, and I’m eager and excited to take on this broader new role.”
As part of the deal, Seacrest serves as a special correspondent for NBC News’ TODAY. He contributes to NBC primetime news and produces and contributes to NBC entertainment programming. Seacrest also contributes to NBC’s primetime coverage of the Olympics, beginning with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Additionally, Seacrest continues his ongoing role with E! as Managing Editor of E! News, providing strategic direction for the news organization, as well as occasionally contributing and producing editorial content and high-profile celebrity interviews. He will continue to host and produce E!’s Live from the Red Carpet signature events, which recently delivered its most-watched awards season in the network’s history.
The E! network is also a founding sponsor of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill and injured children through unique programs that utilize multimedia and interactive platforms to enlighten, entertain and educate.
Seacrest holds preeminent positions in broadcast television, nationally syndicated radio, local radio and cable as an on-air host, broadcaster and producer. He is celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated primetime talent showcase “American Idol,” for which he has been nominated for an Emmy(r) award in the “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.” He also serves as an executive producer and a host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” On radio, Seacrest is host and producer of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time radio show for Clear Channel’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show.
Seacrest’s entertainment production company, Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP), produces the hit series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” the highest-rated show on the E! network and the spin-offs “Khloe and Lamar,” “Kourtney and Kim Take New York,” and “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.” RSP also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” RSP recently produced the new reality series “Shah’s of Sunset” for Bravo.