Not Salman, not Bachchan: This former cricketer is India’s most expensive TV host

For years, the conversation around Indian television’s highest-paid hosts began and ended with two Bollywood titans: Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. One is 'Bigg Boss ' host and the other presents 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' . For years, these two big stars have dominated the television industry.

Now, a new entrant from the cricket pitch has disrupted that long-standing hierarchy. Former Indian cricket team captain has reportedly emerged as the most expensive host on Indian television, outpacing seasoned cinema heavyweights in per-episode remuneration.

1. Rohit Sharma: According to information received from an APB report, Former captain of the Indian cricket team and star batsman Rohit Sharma has emerged as the most expensive host on television.

'Hitman' Rohit Sharma, who has been known for his sixes on the cricket field, has entered the world of television hosting through Sony Entertainment Television's show 'Family Full House with Rohit Sharma'. Rohit Sharma charges a fee of ₹10-15 crore for each episode of the show. However, neither Rohit nor the channel has officially given any information about his fee.

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2. Salman Khan: Salman Khan has remained one of India’s most expensive TV hosts, thanks largely to his long-running association with Bigg Boss over 15 years. The actor began hosting the show, charging ₹2.5 crore an episode. The Times of India report says his fee peaked at around ₹15 crore per week during some earlier seasons, taking his total earnings for a long season to nearly ₹250 crore.

3. Amitabh Bachchan: Amitabh Bachchan is another television heavyweight. The megastar has hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati since its first season in 2000, apart from one season hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. The TOI Report suggests Bachchan’s fee for a season can cross ₹100 crore, with estimates putting his weekly remuneration at around ₹15-20 crore with ₹2.5 to 3 crore per episode.

4. Ajay Devgan: Ajay Devgn has emerged as one of the biggest new entrants in television hosting. The TOI Report says he charged around ₹90 crore for 15 episodes of Crime Patrol 2026: Crime Ka Current Season, which would translate to roughly ₹6 crore per episode.

Crime Patrol premiered in 2003 and has evolved through several editions, including Crime Patrol Satark, Crime Patrol Dastak, Crime Patrol Dial 100 and Crime Patrol 2.0. Actor Anup Soni became closely associated with the franchise after hosting several seasons. Over the years, other presenters have included Sakshi Tanwar, Sonali Kulkarni, Divyanka Tripathi, Ashutosh Rana, Renuka Shahane and Nakuul Mehta.

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5.Karan Johar: Karan Johar has turned Koffee With Karan into one of Indian television’s most recognisable celebrity-chat formats, combining candid conversations, rapid-fire rounds and Bollywood gossip.

The filmmaker-host is reportedly among the highest-paid non-actor television personalities, with a TOI report estimating that he earned more than ₹25 crore for the show’s latest season.

6.Rohit Shetty: Rohit Shetty has become closely associated with Khatron Ke Khiladi, the stunt-based reality show he has hosted across multiple seasons. The TOI report estimate that the filmmaker earns approximately ₹12-14 crore for hosting the series, a figure that reflects both his long association with the format and his ability to bring an action-filmmaker’s persona to television.

Shetty hosted the 15th season of Khatron Ke Khiladi this year, which is being streamed on JioHotstar and premiered on Colors TV in early July. It had estimated his per-episode pay in the range of ₹20 lakh to ₹70 lakh, depending on the season, showing how his compensation has grown as the franchise has expanded.