HBOs Last week tonight host Johannes Olivier fired his agents at WME because they couldn't get him a raise from the $1 million per episode he was already making while negotiating a new deal with the network, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Oliver extended his contract with HBO for another three years at the end of 2023, three sources familiar with the discussions confirmed Puk. “But given the overall contraction of the TV industry and fiscal constraints at HBO parent Warner Bros. Discovery, the new Oliver deal effectively amounted to about the same salary or even a small reduction, depending on how you look at it,” reports the outlet. .
With a salary of around $30 million for 30 episodes per season, Oliver was already among the highest-paid talents on television, but he still wanted a “big raise.”
“Oliver felt he deserved more… and maybe he did. But more likely, this seems another recent example of a top talent punishing its representatives for the new reality of the market,” says Puck. Matthew Belloni writes.
“There's probably a good joke to be made about a TV presenter who positions himself as a man of the people and yet throws a tantrum in private when his own outrageously high salary isn't quite high enough for his liking, but John would probably take that joke do better, so I will succeed.”
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After serving as a correspondent and occasional guest host The Daily Show Oliver began hosting his own political satire talk show for many years, Last week tonightin 2014.
The series received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including 61 Primetime Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards.
In fact, Oliver's work on the show is credited with inspiring real-world action and legislative changes on issues like net neutrality and bail reform in what is referred to as “the John Oliver effect.”
