*KUWTK*: E! Could Not Afford to Keep the Kardashians

Behind-the-scene stories have emerged to explain why Keeping Up With the Kardashians is going away next year after 20 season over 14-year stretch.

TMZ reports that the sisters no longer relied upon the reality series to market their products and companies. Their social media accounts attract hundreds of millions while the TV show drew 2 million weekly. (TMZ)

The New York Post reports the sisters had talked about quitting for “three or four years.” What kept them around was bigger paychecks. However, the pandemic changed that equation (quote) “E! was able to dangle ever-larger checks to bring them back — but this time, the pockets aren’t so deep.” (New York Post)