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Simon's New 'Idol' Deal: $144M?
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 I reported here last week that "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell was working with British retail billionaire Sir Philip Green to create a new entertainment company that would handle all of Cowell's affairs, including "Idol," and his British shows, "Britain's Got Talent" and "The X Factor," according to the Financial Times of London.
The company's first order of business for the new company is a new contract for Cowell with "Idol" that would presumably extend beyond next season, which he has been saying might be his last. At the time, sources said the deal was so big it would likely make Cowell the highest-paid person in television, bumping Oprah Winfrey off the top of the heap.
Now The Guardian is reporting that the deal is three to four times as much as the $36 million Simon earned on "Idol" last season, which would put it in the range of $108 million to $144 million.
Other reports this week have said that Simon is working on a five-year deal with Fox that would give the network the first chance at any show he wants to develop in the United States, which means it's looking more and more likely that he'll eventually import "The X Factor," the show Simon started after Britain's "Pop Idol" ended, which produced Leona Lewis.
*** Click here to comment! What do you think? Should Simon stay for a 10th season, or more? Is it better to leave when the show is still on top?
Message Edited by Victor_Balta on 06-30-2009 05:07 PM
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