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Keith Hernandez Says Seinfeld Still Pays Him About $5,000 a Year

The disclosure highlights how a one-off sitcom cameo can keep paying long after the credits roll.

Overview

  • Hernandez, who spoke on the SI Media Podcast on Tuesday, said he still receives close to $5,000 a year in residuals from his 1992 guest role on Seinfeld.
  • He played himself in the two-part episode The Boyfriend in 1992, a high-profile athlete cameo that remains widely remembered.
  • Residual checks vary by role size, episode count, and where a show airs, which helps explain why fellow ex-player Paul O’Neill has said his Seinfeld checks were about $57.
  • Hernandez is a longtime Mets analyst on SNY, with recent reports of a new three-year deal that outlets list as running through either 2028 or 2029.
  • The steady payments reflect the long tail of a hit sitcom in syndication and streaming, which can keep sending small checks to recognizable guest stars decades later.