Ginger Zee obtained a degree in Meteorology with a major in Mathematics and Spanish at Valparaiso University. She wanted to be a meteorologist on The Today Show by the age of 30, and that dream actually came to life. But Zee had to work through various media outlets before fulfilling that goal. Zee initially guested as a meteorologist on the weekend edition of The Today Show.
In 2011, she joined Good Morning America Weekend and has appeared on other ABC programs such as ABC World News Tonight and Nightline. By December 2, 2013, Zee became ABC News’ Chief Meteorologist and weather editor.
Charissa Thompson – $500k
Charissa Thompson always wanted to be a broadcaster, and she wasted no time learning the ropes. She has worked on different networks including ESPN, GSN, Versus, and The Big Ten Network. She co-hosted Sports Nation with Marcellus Willey and was the host of Fox Sports Live on the new Fox Sports 1 on August 2013. Thompson also hosted Ultimate Beastmaster and was part of Top Rank’s broadcasting team for the pay-per-view event of Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas.
In 2014 until 2017, she joined Tracy Edmonds and Mario Lopez as a co-host on the entertainment news show Extra. She then went back to Fox Sports and is now the host of Fox Sports NFL Kickoff Show.
Cari Champion – $1m
Cari Champion has made a name through tennis, not by playing the sport, but through reporting about tennis. She earned a degree in English with a minor in Mass Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). While there, she wrote for the Daily Bruin. She then moved to West Virginia for her first job as a reporter. Eventually, she moved to Florida to cover human-interest stories.
While working in Florida, she discovered that she had a passion for tennis, especially after she covered Serena and Venus Williams. Champion was then hired to be an anchor and reporter for the Tennis Channel in 2009, and later on, she became an anchor for ESPN’s Sports Center.
Sam Champion – $2m
Sam Champion had his start in the broadcasting business as a meteorologist at WPSD-TV in Kentucky and later, at WJKS in Florida. He then became a weather forecaster at WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News in 1988. He made his way up and joined Good Morning America in 2004 with a salary at $1.5 million a year. Champion also appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan as well as CNN’s Larry King Live. On April 2008, he hosted Sea Rescue, which was an educational and informational program that centers on the rescue and rehabilitation of animals.
Champion left GMA in 2013 and worked as a host and managing editor of The Weather Channel. He anchored America’s Morning Headquarters and 23.5 Degrees With Sam Champion. In 2016, Champion left The Weather Channel since his contract was not renewed. He has returned to ABC as a fill-in weather forecaster.
Sage Steele – $400k
Sage Steele was born into sports. Her father was Gary Steele, the first African-American to play varsity football at West Point. She has two brothers who are also involved in the sports industry. It’s no wonder that she studied Bachelor of Science in Sports Communication at Indiana University Bloomington.
Steele is the co-host of SportsCenter on ESPN. She also hosts SportsCenter on the Road, which took her to different sporting events such as The Masters and the Super Bowl. The 46-year-old previously hosted NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC as well as the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013 on SportsCenter’s daytime coverage.