ABC News has signed its chief anchor, George Stephanopoulos, to a new four-year deal believed to be valued at between $15 million to $17 million a year, ensuring he will stay at the Walt Disney-owned news outlet well beyond the 2020 election.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed a report on the New York Post’s Page Six that ABC had signed Stephanopouolos, a familiar presence on “Good Morning America” and “This Week,” to a four-year pact. The report suggested the anchor’s annual salary may increase to more than $15 million annually over the course of the new agreement.
ABC News declined to make executives available for comment.
Stephaopoulos has been with ABC News since 1997, when he joined the news outlet as an analyst, following a stint as communications director in the Clinton White House. He became the host of the Sunday public-affairs program”This Week” in 2002. In 2009, he joined “Good Morning America,” taking a seat that had been previously filled by Diane Sawyer. He left “This Week” for a time, but returned to it in 2011.
In 2014, Stephanopoulos broadened his duties considerably, taking on a “chief anchor” role that would make him the primary face of ABC News at moments of import: during big. breaking news stories and on special reports of national or global significance. In recent months, he has scored a number of exclusive interviews, including sit-downs with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former FBI Director James Comey.