Did Performers Get Paid On The Ed Sullivan Show? The Surprising Truth

The Beatles were one of the few acts that got paid for their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Most acts received only expense money and exposure. This might seem strange, but it was actually pretty common for variety shows at the time.

Think of it this way: The Ed Sullivan Show was a huge deal. It was a national television program that reached millions of viewers. For many performers, just appearing on the show was a huge boost to their career. The exposure they got was invaluable, and it was often more valuable than any paycheck they could have received.

The Ed Sullivan Show was also very selective about who they booked. They only wanted the best acts, so they could afford to be a bit stingy with their pay.

In the end, the acts that got paid were the ones that were so popular that the show couldn’t afford *not* to pay them. The Beatles, for example, were already huge stars in Britain before they even came to America. Ed Sullivan knew he had to pay them a hefty sum to get them on his show.

Of course, there were some exceptions to this rule. Some acts were paid a small fee, and others got a larger fee depending on their popularity and the show’s budget. But for the most part, the performers on The Ed Sullivan Show were happy to get the exposure, even if they weren’t getting rich off of it.