We’re trying to find out as much information as possible on the show in advance of Love Is Blind Season 5. We know how much houseguests get paid on CBS’ Big Brother and how much contestants on Survivor make. But what about the cast of a Love Is Blind season? Is it enough to make up for the allegedly abusive and shabby filming conditions, and putting up with the Lacheys? Let’s take a look at how much does Love Is Blind cast get paid to see if it’s worth it for people to go on the show. And, we’ll clear up a few misconceptions, namely, that it’s production company Kinetic Content, not Netflix itself, that pays the cast members.
Like most reality content, the longer you stay on camera, the more you get paid. But obviously most of the potential pod people never make it to the engaged couples stage. Previous articles have revealed that everyone has coupled up or gone home within 10 days of a season start. Some of the singles never even get a line, or have screen time totaling in mere seconds as extras. Also, with the ongoing lawsuit filed by Season 2 participant Jeremy Hartwell, we can compare so-called “salaries” with other reality shows. Remember, the only grand prize on Love Is Blind is… love, which is priceless. You don’t get any extra cash, and you’ll probably pay for some costs yourself, even if you or your partner says no at the altar!
How Much Does Love Is Blind Cast Get Paid? The Facts On Figures
We only have the figure of $1,000 per week filming because of the lawsuit, and that figure is alleged. Kinetic has released a statement saying there is “no merit” to the claims. The suit alleges that you can make a max of $8,000 per season. Of course this assumes that you go all the way and attend the reunion. A Love Is Blind season’s length is typically 38 days, or just over five weeks, so the $8,000 has to include coming back for the reunion and possibly After The Altar. This would work out to less than the minimum wage of $15.00/hr in California even though only the pod episodes are filmed in Cali. At least the working week is relatively short at 20 hours/week apparently.
That’s certainly a paltry amount compared to what the Lacheys get paid to briefly appear on the show as co-hosts. All they have to do is lob softball questions, demand that contestants make babies and ask “Is Love Blind?” Of course Nick and Vanessa bring name recognition and their celebrity cachet to help promote the show, as well as Perfect Match and The Ultimatum. Big Brother Host Julie Chen Moonves is raking in $75,000 per episode, so we’ve to imagine they’re making bank on these shows.
Reality TV stars base allowance or stipend is much less than professional actors under guild union SAG-AFTRA.
How Much Does Love Is Blind Cast Get Paid? What’s Covered And What Isn’t?
Another big cash crunch issue for Love Is Blind is that the show is pretty cheap with what it covers. In the pods, alcohol is plentiful but food is less so, as previously covered. The show does pay for the apartments the couples stay in, for the rings, the vacation to Mexico, and the basics of the weddings. This includes the venue, food, and music, but any extra costs are on the couples! No wonder all the successful cast members seem super wealthy. Others, like Matt Barnett, had a hard time paying for everything he wanted for his dream wedding.
We talked endlessly about the ring Jackelina Bonds kept last season. It seems Marshall Glaze (and the other men) would have picked it from a lineup prepared by the show. Think about it in the context of how little she was getting paid as a contestant. Would you have pawned it given the opportunity? Also consider what you’ve read in the context of other successful finding-love reality shows like The Bachelorette. That show goes all out on the wedding and clothes. Meanwhile Colleen Reed Bolton had to blow $4,000 on hair and makeup for her big day.
Season 5 is in the can, but will all this bad press derail Season 6? Has the experiment run out of steam? Only time will tell.
