0/5

Top Gear presenters sign for 3 more years

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have signed a new three-year Top Gear deal.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have signed a new three-year deal to continue presenting Top Gear.

The Guardian reports the new deal is likely to involve a substantial windfall for Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman because BBC Worldwide has taken full control of their lucrative Bedder 6 company, which owns the commercial rights to the show.

Clarkson had become the highest-paid BBC star on the back of his 30% stake in Bedder 6, earning more than £3m ($4.6mAU) in the year to March 2012.

Clarkson and Wilman resigned as directors of Bedder 6, which handled merchandising spin-offs and international versions of the show, two weeks ago.

Under the new deal, May and Hammond will get a share of Top Gear commercial revenue generated by BBC Worldwide, in return for promoting the show around the world. However, the money will be paid to them directly by BBC Worldwide, not channelled via a separate company.

A BBC Worldwide spokesman said: “BBC Worldwide has agreed new commercial deals with Jeremy, James, Richard and Andy to secure Top Gear‘s international future for another three years. This agreement secures the commercial future of Top Gear without using a penny of licence fee money and allows us to continue to grow the brand around the world, reinvest in Top Gear and return profits to the BBC.”

Bedder 6 is said to be valued at £50m-£100m ($77mAU- $155mAU).

5 Responses

  1. I read the main reason we didn’t get the usual UK summer series in June/July was because of the Olympics and other programing. Cost may also have been a factor but it still would have been nice to have a one off mid year special.

  2. Getting it away from Licence Fee money is a good idea. Even though the show is incredibly successful. That is why we aren’t getting any more episodes this year until christmas. Even though an international hit bringing in money. People are against money being spent on it.

Leave a Reply