How much do coaches earn on 'The Voice'? NBC freezing pay for mentors amid mass budget reviews
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: Since its first season, 'The Voice' has had a rotating panel of judges. Each coach earns millions of dollars, but NBC executives are allegedly capping compensation for all of its coaches on 'The Voice' going forward, The US Sun has exclusively revealed.
According to insiders, Reba McEntire is paid well, but discussion of more money is fading as the network undergoes extensive budget cuts. 'The Voice' has made significant changes to its coaching lineup for Season 25, which debuted last month.
(Instagram/@nbcthevoice)
Dan + Shay, a country combo, joined returning judges Chance the Rapper, Reba, and John Legend. However, a source has exclusively told The US Sun that network executives are "tightening spending" without compromising show quality.
The singing competition program is allegedly still one of NBC's top income earners, but the "talent budget" is being closely reviewed. An NBC contractor divulged the covert move, revealing that across the program teams, "there is a substantial trimming of costs and ways of looking at not increasing spending."
The price tag for each judge varies depending on their level of fame, longevity on the show, and amount of victories from previous seasons. Most judges make roughly $13 million every season.
John earned $13 million from his role on the show, as reported by OK. While Chance's compensation has yet to be verified, The US Sun stated that he is likely to earn $8 million each season, which is the starting wage for most Voice coaches in their first season.
Dan + Shay's compensation has not been publicized, but we may presume it is approximately $13 million for those who are just getting started on the program.
NBC to negotiate salaries of 'The Voice' coaches earning millions
The insider told the outlet that judges' salaries are at the top of the budget. While Reba is receiving a large sum of money, it will not increase, and it is less than previous coaches have received.
The insider added, "You can trim the budgets here and there, but the reality is that the biggest fees come from the judges' pay."
"Losing a couple of staff members saves you hundreds of thousands of dollars, but bringing in a freeze on pay raises and lesser deals for talent is a way to trim millions. Reba is getting around $13 million a season, and that is the higher end of the fee range for talent - and a very substantial sum."
It is recognized that there is no room for that sum to climb; therefore, very discreetly behind the scenes, secret negotiations are taking place with agencies and stars concerning such arrangements. "There are a few household names that would happily take a $8 million payday, which is the lower end of the earnings for stars," the source revealed.
According to one production member, past judges Niall Horan and Camila Cabello made around $8 million, while Adam Levine earned more than $14.5 million, "so there is room for the network to negotiate these large sums." "It is a very quiet situation where the clamp is coming down on these high salaries," he said.
'The Voice' coaches are easily 'replaceable'
In an exclusive on-camera interview with The Sun, 'The Voice' hairstylists Jerilynn and Darbie discussed the show's latest changes. "Now with Reba back... I wasn't sure what was going to happen with Blake gone, but I really love her," she said, referring to the country star.
"And then having Dan and Shay for the double chair—that's a really cool new experience. The show is constantly evolving," Jerilynn admits.
Regarding Blake Shelton and Adam departing the show, the Hollywood stylist added, "We kept going. Everyone's always replaceable. I mean, truly, it brings a new, fresh feel to the show."
Who was the highest-paid judge in the history of 'The Voice'?
Ariana Grande received an estimated $25 million every season, making her the highest-paid judge on 'The Voice'. She received such a high salary because she attracted a large number of Gen Z and Millennial viewers to the show.
Christina Aguilera's income was rumored to be $17 million every season, making her the second highest-paid celebrity. Kelly Clarkson is rated third, with earnings of $15 million.
'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and 9 pm ET on Tuesdays. The episodes will be available on Peacock on demand the next day. The streaming site also includes entire episodes from the show's prior seasons.