George Stephanopoulos has signed a new contract at ABC News, extending his tenure at the network for at least another four years, a person with knowledge of the matter told TheWrap. The deal will net Stephanopoulos more than $65 million, working out to roughly $15 million to $18 million per year.
The new contract also ensures he will remain a central player in ABC News’ coverage of the 2020 presidential campaign. He will also remain as host of the network’s Sunday morning show “This Week.”
Stephanopoulos had been wooed by rivals including CNN and CBS, according to New York Post’s Page Six. A rep for CBS said that was “not true.” CNN did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
The anchor has been on a roll at the network in 2018, scoring major interviews with President Trump, former FBI director James Comey and ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
Stephanopoulos’ re-signing comes amid increasing tension over hiring former campaign and political operatives for senior editorial roles in network newsrooms. Before joining ABC, Stephanopoulos famously worked in the Bill Clinton White House as a senior adviser and communications director.
On Tuesday, CNN plucked Jeff Sessions’ former spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores, to serve as political editor. In the job, which she is expected to start next month, Flores will coordinate political coverage for the 2020 cycle for TV and digital while also making occasional appearances on air analyzing politics, according to a person familiar with the matter. She will not be covering the Department of Justice.