The hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory ended its 12-season run on CBS back in 2019, but the show’s stars are still raking in millions each year thanks to lucrative backend deals.
We always knew that the TBBT actors were well-compensated, but the figures for the final season’s 24 episodes are truly astonishing. The leading cast members, including Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayaar, and Simon Helberg, are earning $1 million per episode for the 12th and final season. This brings their Season 12 salaries to a whopping $24 million each.
Meanwhile, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch are not far behind, making $425,000 per episode, which translates to $10.2 million each for the season.
Other big earners in television history include the cast of “Friends,” who made $1 million per episode in the later seasons, and Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”), Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”), and Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”), who earned between $1.8 to $2.2 million per episode towards the end of their shows.
Backend Profits: A Golden Goose
The real financial magic for the trio lies in the backend profits. With The Big Bang Theory still generating an estimated $1 billion per year in syndication revenue, that 1% stake works out to $10 million annually for each of the three stars. This backend pay will continue for years to come as the show remains popular in syndication on cable and streaming platforms.
Cuoco and Galecki, who played married couple Penny and Leonard on the show, now have estimated net worths of $100 million each. Parsons, who played quirky theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper, is now worth around $160 million.
The Big Bang Theory ranks as one of the most lucrative sitcoms of all time. At the show’s peak, Cuoco, Galecki, and Parsons were earning $1 million per episode. The trio also agreed to take pay cuts so the rest of the cast could get raises during contract negotiations.
The End of an Era
Despite the huge potential of backend money, Kaley Cuoco was not ready for “The Big Bang Theory” to end. She was broken by the decision and caught completely off-guard when Jim Parsons decided to call it a day. The show could have continued without Parsons, but Cuoco revealed that it was a united cast, and they agreed to come in together and go out together.
Four years after its conclusion, “The Big Bang Theory” continues to be a financial powerhouse for its main stars. The combination of a successful run, wise contract negotiations, and backend profits ensures that the legacy of the show lives on, both in reruns and in the bank accounts of its stars.
