Here's How Much Sports Commentators Get Paid If The Match Goes To Extra Time, And It's Not What I Thought

I only recently found out how much Olympic athletes get paid for landing a medal for their country. 

Before then, though, I learned how much Oscars hosts got paid for the gig and was pretty surprised to discover it’s a lot less than I thought. 

So what about sports commentators? After all, some flight attendants don’t get paid for boarding and getting you off the plane (if the door is open, they’re considered off the clock).

Do sports networks have a similar rule?

Thankfully, on their behind-the-scenes showbiz podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, co-hosts Marina Hyde and Richard Osman have much-needed answers. 

So what happens?

According to Richard, “It will not shock you to learn that no, you are paid a flat rate ― otherwise, during the commentary, they’d be... desperate for one team to equalise, because, you know, they’re building a conservatory.”

So nope ― there’s no extra dosh if the game runs over, as the commentator’s pay isn’t based on the time they spend reporting. 

Marina joked that commentators would have “maximum leverage” if they were paid extra for penalties, though, as they could refuse to keep going until they got a pay bump. 

Rich Wolfenden,the BBC Final Score reporter, also told the podcast, “If [the game] gets called off or abandoned for any reason, ching-ching ― [commentators] still get the full rate.” 

What’s the gig like otherwise?

According to SPORTbible, in 2023, Gary Lineker may have raked in around £1.3 million a year as a sports pundit, while Sir Ian Wright was on £150k.

That’s just the top ten British commentators, though. Per Glassdoor, “the estimated salary for a Sports Reporter is £26,878 per year” in the UK.

The longest recorded football match lasted over three hours, so lets hope none of our favourite commentators have to sit through that (especially for no extra moolah...).