The 2013 list is here. WHO EARNS WHAT Big Bang's big bucks, Netflix's moneymakers and morning-show multimillionaires. Our annual salary report. By Stephen Battaglio and Michael Schneider, TV GUIDE MAGAZINE The new deals for The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco, which pay each $1 million per episode, make them the top-earning actors in TV Guide Magazine's annual survey of stars' salaries. But will the trio be the last to reach that seven-figure milestone? We put the question to many of the network and studio executives and talent agents we query every year to gather the data. All are trying to make sense of how the slicing and dicing of the mass audience — now more fragmented than ever by the rise of online streaming, DVR playback, and video on demand — is changing their business. Series with just a quarter of the 20 million viewers Big Bang averaged last season are being heralded as hits and getting renewed. One network entertainment chief, asked to explain why the show was so much bigger than any other sitcom, says Big Bang, now going into its eighth season, is from "the pre-DVR era," when shows had less competition. Yet no one says it is impossible for another Big Bang-size hit, one that commands seven-figure paydays for its leads, to come along. "We have to believe that we can do it again," says one TV comedy executive. But for the actors to cash in, a number of factors would have to fall into place as perfectly as they did for Big Bang. "It has to be a huge, broad, wildly profitable show that is showing no signs of slowing down," says another studio executive, who notes that reaching eight seasons is rare in itself. "It also has to have a small, core cast that has been there from the beginning. The show can't have 11 series regulars, like Modern Family." Nor, the executive notes, can it be a series with a lot of "cast churn." Killing off major characters — a common practice, thanks to Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead — has become an effective way to keep salaries in line on shows with large ensemble casts. But the rules of the game are rapidly changing, which leads another veteran executive to suggest a streaming TV service such as Netflix could be the next company to sign a $1 million paycheck for the star of one of its original series. Netflix is nearly halfway there with what it pays House of Cards star Kevin Spacey, according to the estimates of industry insiders. The proliferation of digital scripted shows — thanks to the ramp-up of original TV production by companies like Yahoo, Hulu, and Amazon — is increasing the demand for actors. That could eventually lift their pay after years of studios and networks holding the line on talent costs. (The top starting salary for a network show is $125,000 per episode. The highest figure for cable-show leads is typically $75,000.) "[Amazon] pays really well," says Amy Landecker, costar of the online giant's new comedy Transparent. "You'd be amazed." Also amazing: American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez will pull in $17.5 million in the show's next cycle, despite the singing competition's staggering ratings drop last season. She'll also work fewer hours. Sometimes the rich just get richer. COMEDY (per episode) [*plus profit participation **includes producer fee] Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory $1,000,000* Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory $1,000,000* Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory $1,000,000* Ashton Kutcher, Two and a Half Men, $750,000 Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men $650,000 Nancy Cartwright, The Simpsons $300,000 Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons $300,000 Julie Kavner, The Simpsons $300,000 Yeardley Smith, The Simpsons $300,000 Tim Allen, Last Man Standing $250,000 Patricia Heaton, The Middle $250,000 Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation $250,000** Julie Bowen, Modern Family $190,000 Ty Burrell, Modern Family $190,000 Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family $190,000 Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family $190,000 Sofia Vergara, Modern Family $190,000 Kate Walsh, Bad Judge $175,000** Don Cheadle, House of Lies $150,000 Lena Dunham, Girls $150,000** Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie $150,000 Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep $150,000 Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project $140,000** Zooey Deschanel, New Girl $130,000 Will Arnett, The Millers $125,000 Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine $125,000** Anthony Anderson, Black-ish $100,000 Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine $100,000 Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory $75,000 Melissa Rauch, The Big Bang Theory $75,000 Sarah Hyland, Modern Family $75,000 Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent $75,000 Margo Martindale, The Millers $60,000 Jack McGee, The McCarthys $60,000 Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish $50,000 Ben Feldman, A to Z $40,000 Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin $40,000 Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black $35,000 Steve Byrne, Sullivan & Son $30,000 Susan Lucci, Devious Maids $30,000 THE MILLION-DOLLAR CLUB The Big Bang Theory's three leads—Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, and Jim Parsons—will be in some rarefied financial company this fall. They join the following stars, who have hit the $1-million-per-episode mark. 1997 Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld 1998 Tim Allen, Home Improvement 1998 Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt, Mad About You 2002 The cast of Friends (Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc) 2002 Kelsey Grammer, Frasier 2004 Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond 2007 James Gandolfini, The Sopranos 2010 Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men DRAMA (per episode) [*plus profit participation **includes producer fee] Mark Harmon, NCIS $525,000* Kevin Spacey, House of Cards $500,000** Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit $400,000 Simon Baker, The Mentalist $350,000 Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy $350,000 Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy $350,000 Jon Hamm, Mad Men $275,000 David Boreanaz, Bones $250,000 Emily Deschanel, Bones $250,000 Claire Danes, Homeland $250,000 Ted Danson, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation $250,000 Michael Weatherly, NCIS $250,000 Angie Harmon, Rizzoli & Isles $185,000 Jensen Ackles, Supernatural $175,000 Shemar Moore, Criminal Minds $175,000 Katherine Heigl, State of Affairs $150,000** Kerry Washington, Scandal $150,000 Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones $150,000 Tom Selleck, Blue Bloods $150,000 Téa Leoni, Madam Secretary $125,000 Debra Messing, The Mysteries of Laura $125,000 Mandy Patinkin, Homeland $125,000 Scott Bakula, NCIS: New Orleans $120,000 Eric Dane, The Last Ship $100,000 Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex $100,000 Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex $100,000 Halle Berry, Extant $100,000 Jesse L. Martin, Gotham $100,000 Jada Pinkett Smith, Gotham $100,000 Jonny Lee Miller, Elementary $100,000 Anna Gunn, Gracepoint $75,000 Octavia Spencer, Red Band Society $75,000 Justin Theroux, The Leftovers $75,000 Katee Sackhoff Longmire $60,000 (FYI: A&E just cancelled it! ) John Benjamin Hickey, Manhattan $50,000 CCH Pounder, NCIS: New Orleans $50,000 Shane West, Salem $50,000 Lucy Hale, Pretty Little Liars $42,000 Katharine McPhee, Scorpion $40,000 DAYTIME/SYNDICATION (per year) [*includes profit participation] Judy Sheindlin, Judge Judy $47 million Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show $16-20 million* Kelly Ripa, Live With Kelly and Michael $14-20 million* Pat Sajak, Wheel of Fortune $12 million Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! $9-10 million Vanna White, Wheel of Fortune $8 million Whoopi Goldberg, The View $5 million Rosie O'Donnell, The View $5 million Meredith Vieira, The Meredith Vieira Show $5 million Clinton Kelly, The Chew $10,000 per week NEWS (per year) Matt Lauer, Today $22-25 million Bill O'Reilly, The O'Reilly Factor $18 million Robin Roberts, Good Morning America $14 million Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News $13 million Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360 $11 million Shepard Smith, Shepard Smith Reporting $10 million George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America & This Week $9 million Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show $7 million Scott Pelley, CBS Evening News & 60 Minutes $7 million Bret Baier, Special Report With Bret Baier $6 million Maria Bartiromo, FOX Business $6 million Katie Couric, Yahoo! News $6 million Megyn Kelly, The Kelly File $6 million David Muir, ABC World News Tonight & 20/20 $5 million David Gregory, Meet the Press $4 million Lawrence O'Donnell, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell $4 million Lara Spencer, Good Morning America $3.5 million Erin Burnett, OutFront $3 million Nancy Grace, Nancy Grace $3 million Steve Kroft, 60 Minutes $3 million Willie Geist, Today & Morning Joe $2.5 million Natalie Morales, Today $2.5 million Byron Pitts, ABC News $1.2 million Bill Weir, CNN $750,000 Ronan Farrow, Ronan Farrow Daily $650,000 LATE NIGHT (per year) Jon Stewart, Comedy Central $25-30 million David Letterman, CBS $20 million Conan O'Brien, TBS $12 million Jimmy Fallon, NBC $11 million Chelsea Handler, Netflix $10 million Jimmy Kimmel, ABC $10 million Andy Cohen, Bravo $2 million John Oliver, HBO $2 million Saturday Night Live player starting salary, NBC $4,500 per episode REAL ESTATE PURCHASES Les Moonves & Julie Chen Malibu, CA $29 million Jim Parsons Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA $6.4 million Andy Samberg Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, CA $6.3 million Kaley Cuoco Tarzana, CA $5.5 million David Gregory Washington, DC $5.5 million Jesse Tyler Ferguson Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA $4.5 million SALES Ellen DeGeneres Westside, Los Angeles, CA $55 million Ashton Kutcher Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, CA $10 million Neil Patrick Harris Sherman Oaks, CA $3 million Jason Priestley Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, CA $2 million DOUBLE DIPPERS Laurie Metcalf The McCarthys, $90,000 per episode Getting On, $50,000 per episode Michael Strahan Live With Kelly and Michael, $6 million per year FOX Sports, $4 million per year Heidi Klum America's Got Talent, $70,000 per hour Project Runway, $70,000 per episode REALITY Jennifer Lopez, American Idol $17.5 million per season Ryan Seacrest, American Idol $15 million per season Howard Stern, America's Got Talent $15 million per season Kardashian family, Keeping Up With the Kardashians $10 million per season Jeff Probst, Survivor $4 million per season NeNe Leakes, The Real Housewives of Atlanta $1 million per year Robertson family, Duck Dynasty $250,000 per episode Harrison family, Pawn Stars $125,000 per episode Lisa Vanderpump, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills $500,000 per year Chris Harrison, The Bachelor & The Bachelorette $50,000 per hour Richard Rawlings, Fast N' Loud $50,000 per episode Bruno Tonioli, Dancing With the Stars $30,000 per hour Kevin O'Leary, Shark Tank $30,000 per episode Saga crew, Deadliest Catch $25,000 per episode Eddie Cibrian, LeeAnn & Eddie $20,000 per episode Mimi Faust, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta $20,000 per episode Nicole Richie, Candidly Nicole $20,000 per episode Elena Gant, Little Women: L.A. $2,000 per episode