American Idol 2012, host Ryan Seacrest enters last year of contract.

Seacrest has been the host of Idol for it’s entire 11 season career. However, he is in the final year of a three-year, $45 million deal with Fox.

He also has an extensive hosting/production deal with E!, which included the Kardashians reality franchise, and has allegedly been approached by NBC as a possible replacement for Today co-host Matt Lauer. Lauer’s deal expires at the end of this year as well.

E! is owned by Comcast, which also owns NBC.

However, Idol fans shouldn’t hold their breath, word is Lauer is expected to remain at NBC, and Seacrest isn’t expected to abandon “Idol” and a probable huge payday.

“I think [Seacrest] is pivotal to the ongoing success of ‘Idol,’ and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for helming the show, ” says Marc Berman, editor-in-chief of TV Media Insights.

“Fox has said they have every intention of doing whatever they can to keep him. They’re not going to let him go. They’ll come up with a lucrative deal to keep him . .since he’s really the one holding the show together.”

Seacrest, meanwhile, inked a deal with Mark Cuban yesterday, adding to his already full plate and perhaps indicating he wouldn’t have time to co-host “Today” if the opportunity arose.

The deal will rebrand Cuban’s HDNet as AXS TV, with Seacrest contributing programming (but not appearing on-air), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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