‘Big Bang Theory’ Becomes the Most Expensive Non Sports Show on TV for Advertisers

‘Big Bang Theory’ has been one of the most popular comedy shows by CBS. After seven seasons on the air it has become the most expensive non-sports show on TV for advertisers. The producers have hiked the ad rates by $50,000 this year to take it to the top of the heap. According to a report carried by Advertising Age in 2012 the ad rate on the comedy show last year was $275,573 for a 30 second spot. According to a latest survey conducted by AdWeek the rates have been hiked by $50,000 and stand at $326,260 for a 30 second spot this season.

The Viewership of the Sitcom Has Increased by 12% This Year

The hit comedy show has been produced by Warner Bros and has been gaining in popularity season after season. That’s the reason why even at that high cost there is no dearth of advertisers who are willing to pay top dollars to display their ads during the show. The other highly rated shows that come close second and third to the sitcom are NBC’s “The Voice,” and ABC’s “Modern Family”. The report by AdWeek points out that the sitcom is averaging 19.2 million viewers per week. It has an extraordinary 5.6 rating in the 18-49 year old demographic. The remarkable fact is that it is a 12% increase over the last year figures.

Sporting Events Command the Highest Viewership and Ad Rates

To put these high figures in perspective one must look at the price that popular sports programs command. The networks are willing to pay bigger and bigger fees to broadcast sporting events because the most expensive ad spots belong to sports. Fox network’s eight NFC games were the most expensive for the advertisers according to the report. A 30 second spot during the games cost as much as $595,000. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” came a close second with a 30 second spot costing marginally less at $570,000. Amongst the new shows NBC’s ‘The Blacklist’ has emerged as the most successful. It is an FBI drama starring James Spader and airs on Mondays after ‘The Voice’. It is averaging 11.3 million viewers per week and costs the advertisers $198,667 for a 30 second spot.

Via: nypost