Clarkson to earn $36million over next 3 years?

[TurnerGTX]

The confidential agreement has put Mr Clarkson – renowned for what many consider his "politically incorrect" views – at the centre of a new "fat cat" wages row at a time when the corporation has been widely criticised for the lucrative salaries paid to star presenters.

Mr Clarkson's deal has been struck with BBC Worldwide, the commercial wing of the broadcaster, amid rumours that he would defect to ITV unless he received a greater cut of profits from a programme that is now seen by 235 million viewers worldwide.

His stake in the Top Gear brand could put Mr Clarkson on a par with some of the BBC's highest-paid presenters, including Jonathan Ross, who will earn a reported £18million over three years.

BBC Worldwide confirmed the new deal yesterday but would not comment on the size of Mr Clarkson's profit-related fee.

Today's disclosure by The Sunday Telegraph comes at a sensitive time for the BBC. In November last year, Sir Michael Lyons, the chairman of the corporation's governing body, suggested that it should no longer submit to high wage demands from star presenters, saying that the broadcaster might have responded "too meekly'' in the past.

The deal for Mr Clarkson has been kept so quiet that not even his fellow Top Gear presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, are thought to know about it. They, like Mr Clarkson, get a fee for each programme but are not believed to be included in the new agreement.

BBC Worldwide acts as a separate entity from the BBC and generates profits that are put back into the corporation. Last year it made a profit of £111million but this year – boosted by the success of Top Gear – its profits are expected to be substantially higher.

Mr Fleming said: "Top Gear has become a massive success story in the UK and all over the world. It has gone to another level: it is now a family programme – it's not just for men who like cars."

Mr Clarkson, 48, will travel the world to promote Top Gear products such as books and DVDs. A year-long worldwide tour will start in Britain in October.

Some internal BBC sources had suggested that Mr Clarkson would take 49 per cent of all worldwide profits from the brand but this was denied by BBC Worldwide.

"What percentage he actually gets and how it works needs to remain confidential," Mr Fleming said. The BBC denied that Mr Clarkson had been about to defect to ITV. Mr Clarkson was unavailable for comment yesterday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...-cats-row.html

[mclarensmps]

I personally think the amount they earn should be none of our business, to be honest.

[Cobol74]

If he can negotiate that then good luck to him. I would take the deal in a heartbeat.

[aaurora]

Woah...that's a lot of money, there Jezza. Good on him. In all honesty, James and Richard deserve a nice piece of that pie, too. They are just as much the Faces of Top Gear just like Jeremy.

[avanti]

JC is TG so every penny is well deserved.

[teeb]

I personally think the amount they earn should be none of our business, to be honest.

There's a good argument for this, but then again BBC (and Top Gear) are funded by public money so there's a good argument for making it public, too. I'm not sure which I agree with.

As for the article : one, Jonathan Ross is overpaid. Two, it's a lot of speculation - especially since the whole 'stake in the Top Gear brand' thing, I think, means that he'll get a slice of the pie if the AUS and US versions take off well.

I do agree he's worth it though.


also - I can't imagine that he'd defect to ITV. For one, ITV don't do decent programs and haven't since the 80s. For two, ITV gives 99.9% of its budget to Ant, Dec and Cowell, leaving no cash for Clarkson.

[tone76]

You get what you pay for. Well, in most cases anyway. Jezza is well worth that sort of money IMHO.

[dj.TAKA]

Oh goody, now he can buy that Veyron he wanted.

[stuvik]

Oh goody, now he can buy that Veyron he wanted.

But will he let the Stig drive it around the test track?

meh...moot point I guess. Hammond and May will just hijack it like they did his old Merc

Just imagine how much MORE money the BBC would actually make if they released season box sets!!!

[stiggie]

I read the article but I can't find where the "35 million" from the thread title is from.

There's a good argument for this, but then again BBC (and Top Gear) are funded by public money so there's a good argument for making it public, too. I'm not sure which I agree with.

This money is coming from BBC Worldwide though, not the publicly-funded BBC.

I don't have any problem with Jeremy getting some of the profits from the show, but I hope James and Richard get some too.

[fbc]

I read the article but I can't find where the "35 million" from the thread title is from.

It's a rough conversion to USD (presumably) from the £18million mentioned in the article.

[Red_Bull]

The article doesn't actually say what Clarkson would be earning though. The £18million mentioned in the article was for Jonathon Ross.

[DTMracer]

Either way, how much clarkson earns isn't going to stop me buying his DVDs and watching Top Gear if its decent.

I wonder how much May and Hammond earn. Hope their pay goes up as well.

[upyourego]

Yes Top Gear IS funded by the licence fee BUT it doesn't sound like this extra money is actually coming OUT of the licence fee - it actually reads that it will be coming from BBC Worldwide - and specifically the sale of TG products and licencing - so anyone that watches TG:US, TG:AU or even TG on an international network.

Anyone that buys a DVD, book or any other merchandising - it's the commercial stuff and to be honest, as Clarkson and Wilman pretty much made the show what it is I think they deserve a sizable cut of the profits from it.

I doubt this will impact on the money he gets from the licence fee for presenting Top Gear - that will most likely stay the same - BBC Worldwide is run as a separate company so he will likely be paid by them as a separate employer.

Oh and here is the usual response to 'why no box sets'? It's all about the music.

Just imagine how much MORE money the BBC would actually make if they released season box sets!!!

The BBC has a blanket deal across all of its broadcasting network (all national TV channels, national radio stations, local radio stations, regional tv and even online to some extent).

This means the BBC (almost without exception) can play ANY piece of music in any programme without having to go back to the original rights holders and ask permission or paying extra money.

However when it comes to putting together DVDs or even selling downloads (iPlayer comes under the terms of the deal) that blanket deal doesn't apply and so every track played without a problem when it went out on TV would have to be negotiated - on a one by one basis.

This is 1) expensive and 2) sometimes impossible as rights holders are known to refuse - especially more eco friendly musicians who don't like Top Gear.

I spoke to (and sorry I know I've posted this before at some point somewhere) the head of commissioning at 2|entertain (people responsible for all BBC DVDs) and he basically told me they had two options 1) Sell box sets of every series but with most of the music different to what went out on TV or 2) don't sell box sets but instead sell compilations and best bits that don't matter if the music is changed to much.

He felt, well after doing market research he felt, that the Top Gear fans most likely to buy a box set would NOT want any of the music changed, that they like it as is and so it would be better not to sell it at all than sell "an inferior product".

Oh and if they were to sell it it would probably be about £65 per series when it first came out - dropping to about £35 after a year or so (based on other box sets by the BBC).

The only way it would happen is if everyone decided they were happy to have it with a different sound track - maybe it's worth a thread of its own and a vote? (drag up an old thread?).

[otispunkmeyer]

well he and willman brought TG back from the dead and transformed it into the global phenomenon we sit and watch today. its taken a lot of hard work by everyone involved to get this far, but the buck stops with those 2... its their show, they run it, they've made it a raging success.....they deserve some decent money for it.

[Ice_warmer]

does this comes to a shock for some people?

[stiggie]

But James is slowly saving up his money to get his flat's stairs re-carpeted, while Jeremy has an apartment in London and two houses. I think that BBC Worldwide needs to spread the wealth a little more evenly.

[Ice_warmer]

i think jeremy clarkson is actually some kind of executive producer for tg, plus with his books and dvds

[ViperVX]

36mil $ - 3 years, 12 mil a year (also deduct the 50% tax or whatever it is in UK). It's very very good money, but no way near to what an actor makes in US, hosting (and leading) the MOST VIEWED TV programme on televesion. Also, they make 20 hour long episodes a year + specials, world tours, promotions, and this year TopGear on Stage. That's not like a 20 min sitcom or a hour drama with 15 mins of commercials. I still think TG boys are underpaid, even if all 3 of em land the same contract.

[aaurora]

But James is slowly saving up his money to get his flat's stairs re-carpeted, while Jeremy has an apartment in London and two houses. I think that BBC Worldwide needs to spread the wealth a little more evenly.

Agreed, although I'm pretty sure James has had his stairs done now. It certainly wouldn't be fair if James had to 'save up' to get his stairs re-carpeted and his co-presenters can go and buy a flashy car and not think twice.