We already knew that Jennifer Lopez would be back on the judges’ table on American Idol for one more year, we just didn’t know how much it was going to cost Fox.
Well. Now we know.
Fox will be shelling out $20 million to have JLo sit next to Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson for the show’s 11th season.
Before inking the deal, producers pushed Lopez for a multi-year contract like the one Steven Tyler has but Lopez would only sign for one year. Fox is willing to give Lopez an $8 million raise over her first year because ratings for the last season of Idol were stronger than they had been in a while with a lot of the credit going to Tyler and Lopez.
Executive Producer Simon Fuller said, “Having both Jennifer and Steven return to ‘Idol’ in 2012 alongside Randy is such a positive reflection on what was a wonderful and hugely successful season last year, and everyone is delighted.”