Josh Elliot takes pay cut after leaving GMA for NBC Sports

According to new reports, Josh Elliott left Good Morning America for a job at NBC Sports that will pay him less than he would have received if he had stayed at ABC News.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed Josh Elliott will make $4 million annually in a long-term contract that also includes a production deal.

The former GMA anchor would reportedly earned $5 million if he had stayed at ABC News as the network was willing to shell out to keep him. Apparently the production deal that offers potential opportunities at NBC Universal’s vast suite of cable channels and the staggering audiences that tune in for sports programming on NBC proved sufficiently enticing to the anchor.

It appears Josh Elliott was asking for $10 million in an escalating contract that topped out at $13 million. Those figures were far beyond what ABC News executives were willing to pay.

A non-compete clause in Josh Elliott’s ABC contract precludes him from appearing on NBC’s news programs for six months. And sources at NBC News and close to Josh Elliott stress that the deal is confined to sports. But the pitched battle between GMA and Today Show – and the hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in morning TV – makes speculation about a possible role on Today inevitable.

Meanwhile, ABC News already has installed Amy Robach as Josh Elliott’s replacement on GMA.