“American Idol’ fetches an average of $745K for a 30-second ad, according to a survey by Forbes.com. The show generates $30 million a week on average over 18 or so weeks from basic ad revenue.
Shows that skew younger tend to draw more cash per viewer. “24” brings in $344K per spot while “60 Minutes” takes in just $109K.
Newer shows that become hits are bargains. Take “Heroes,” at $126K per commercial. Or really expensive. “Six Degrees” in the fall took in $179K but fell far short of expectations. “Grey’s” is hotter than “Dancing” from a dollar standpoint (though “Dancing” airs more hours). “Dancing” draws $179K while “Grey’s” gets $281K.
