Seacrest in! 'Idol' host signs new contr...

Seacrest in! 'Idol' host signs new contr...

Beth Dubber/Fox

Ryan Seacrest has been w ith 'American Idol' since the beginning.

It was another day, another $ 30 million for Ryan Seacrest on Monday, when the man who is quietly becoming one of the most lucrative brands in show biz reupped for another two years as host of American Idol.

Seacrest and Fox, which airs Idol, announced he has signed a new contract, reportedly for two years at the same $ 15 million he has been making on the contract that expires at the end of this season.

Seacrest has hosted Idol since it launched 11 seasons ago, and while the hosts job sometimes seems routine, a good cop who can keep traffic moving, occasionally reign in the judges and maintain a friendly rapport with the contestants is a rare find.

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X Factor, the talent show launched last fall by Simon Cowell after he broke away from Idol, fired host Steve Jones after the shows first season.

Jone s was widely cited as one reason X Factor lacked the smoothness of Idol and ended up with several million fewer viewers.

Cowell is still looking for an X Factor host and has suggested the job may require two people.

Cowell in January praised Seacrests skills while brushing aside the inevitable rumors he would try to lure Seacrest away from Idol. He said he was confident Seacrest wanted to stay where he is.

In a statement issued with the announcement of his new contract, the 37-year-old Seacrest said, For the last 11 seasons, I've had the privilege to be a part of one of television's most iconic shows. Its been a wild ride, and I'm excited for my journey with American Idol to continue.

Ryan is one of a kind, said Mike Darnell, Fox president of Alternative Entertainment. His ability to engage the viewers, keep the contestants at ease during intense moments and adapt to any situation, especially during the live shows, solidifi es him as the absolute best in the business. We can't imagine doing this show without him.

In addition to Idol, Seacrest hosts a daily syndicated top-40 radio show, heard locally on WHTZ (100.3 FM), and a weekend radio countdown show.

His TV production company has created shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians and it recently signed a $ 300 million deal with a private equity group to fund future media ventures.

He also recently expanded his ties with the NBC network family, where he works for the E! channel and will cover the summer Olympics among other unspecified assignments for parent NBC.

He had been mentioned as a possible Today Show cohost if Matt Lauer had left, and its inevitable his name will surface when future high-profile host or anchor slots open up.

He also has kept his based covered at other networks and is expected to continue as host of the New Years Rockin Eve specials he inherited from t he late Dick Clark.