Ryan Seacrest Expands Deal with NBCU

New two-year contract includes role as 'Today' special correspondent

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/27/2012 4:24:04 PM

Multi-hyphenate talent Ryan Seacrest has completed a new two-year deal with NBCUniversal that expands his presence at the company beyond E! to the NBC broadcast network.
 
As part of the deal, Seacrest will become a special correspondent for NBC News' Today show and contribute to NBC's primetime news and entertainment programming. He will also serve as a correspondent for NBC's primetime coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as previously announced.
 
At E!, Seacrest will continue in his role as managing editor at E! News, but will no longer have a daily presence at the program as he once did. Instead, he will occasionally contribute content and high-profile interviews, though he will remain as host of the network's Live from the Red Carpet events.
 
"Ryan is an extraordinary talent who has been an important part of the Comcast family for a long time," said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal in a statement. "We look forward to his continued role on E! and to having him appear on many new places across NBCUniversal, including the Today show and at the Olympics. This is a great example of how NBCUniversal is able to provide the perfect home for some of the best people in the business."
 
Friday's news caps off a week in which Seacrest has been negotiating his various television roles. On Monday, he inked a deal to continue as host of Fox's American Idol for two more years at a reported $15 million a year, and on Tuesday E! renewed Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which is produced by Seacrest's shingle Ryan Seacrest Productions, for three more years.