How Much Does an Ad During Chuck Cost?

AdAge released their annual list of ad prices for various shows on all of the networks today, including NBC. Here’s the list of what it would cost to buy a 30-second commercial on Chuck or any of the other shows on NBC. (Note: These rates were assessed prior to the beginning of the season and are not based on current ratings.)

Sunday Night Football $512,367
The Office $178,840
The Apprentice $145,500
30 Rock $133,000
Whitney $120,604
Awake $117,550
Parks and Recreation $116,883
The Biggest Loser $106,153
L&O: SVU $104,528
The Firm $104,500
Parenthood $95,650
Community $93,533
Prime Suspect $93,092
Football Night in America $92,900
Up All Night $82,617
The Sing-Off $81,541
Free Agents (cancelled) $78,010
Playboy Club (cancelled) $74,273
Harry’s Law $64,017
Grimm $55,358
Chuck $50,441
Dateline $39,610

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20 comments

  1. Wow, Chuck is a bargain. If advertisers are paying for the demo points, then Chuck is doing much better that Sing Off or Harry’s Law, yet is much cheaper.

  2. Thanks for providing solid facts, Mel. It’s greatly appreciated!

    Looks like Chuck won’t be very profitable for NBC much longer… 🙁

  3. Interesting information. In past seasons the focus was on ratings as a measure of how well the show was doing. My guess is that NBC is more concerned about how much they can charge for advertising. Based on the list above, this may not always go hand-in-hand with ratings or quality.

    • The amount a broadcast network can earn from advertisers is ALWAYS the main factor in whether a show lives or dies. That’s why renewal campaigns like #NotANielsenFamily targeted advertisers, to let them know that we may not be counted in the ratings, but we’re watching and we’re paying attention to who supports the show.

  4. Mel,
    Have we heard any specific feedback regarding the #NotANielsenFamily campaign, other than initial comments last spring? We heard initially “…keep it up, it’s working.” but I don’t recall hearing much more.

    Melissa

  5. Important to understand:

    “The prices should be taken as directional indicators, not hard negotiating figures. Ad Age’s numbers are based on a range of agency estimates that can vary depending on the amount of inventory purchased from a particular network and the relationship an advertiser has with a specific media outlet. What’s more, prices may have changed. Ad Age’s numbers are based on what advertisers paid for ad time during this year’s upfront market, when marketers commit to advertising weeks in advance in exchange for locking price guarantees. The market for “scatter” advertising, or ads purchased closer to air date, has been robust, so prices are likely to have risen. Additionally, the TV networks have already canceled several programs, which will likely alter the prime-time grid.”

    One should also note that pricing in the upfront is based on what the agencies THINK the ratings may be. If you go and read the Ad Age article directly, Chuck is getting less money than several of the shows it is competing with, which means they weren’t very optimistic.

    • That what I said above, Diane, that these rates were set before the season began (that’s what the upfronts in May are for, to announce the networks’ new programming slate to advertisers along with the rates for commercials). Chuck is airing on Friday nights on the network with the worst ratings of the big 4; it’s not surprising that the rate is reduced from last year’s $94,697 Monday night spots. (Friday is also the second-cheapest night for advertising, only ranking above Saturday night.)

      On the other hand, last year’s 8PM Friday show, Who Do You Think You Are, only got $47,820, so Chuck is predicted to be an improvement. (source)

      • I just thought people would benefit from reading the entire paragraph to understand where they came from. In particular, “a range of agency estimates” is an important point.

        Someone above said “solid facts”. That’s not what they are.

      • Thanks for mentioning last season’s rate. I thought it was pretty high last year and was really shocked to see such a low rate predicted for this season… although considering it’s Friday night, I guess that makes it more understandable.

  6. If I were an advertiser, I would keep in mind that a large percentage of “Chuck” viewers watch the show through sources other than the real-time NBC broadcast. And since those sources charge less for advertising than NBC, my “Chuck” advertising dollars would be better spent at those sources.

    • Figuring out how to monetize those other sources is something all of the networks – broadcast and cable – are trying to figure out. Hulu is doing the best, but even with estimated earnings of $500 million this year, it pales in comparison to the $60.5 billion (that’s billion, with a ‘b’) that advertisers will spend on TV commercials in 2011. (source)

    • Doctor Bob:

      The key metric ad agencies use is “Cost per thousand” viewers. Those other sources may be less expensive, but are they more efficient? In other words, do they have a lower cost per thousand?

      Probably not.

      Regardless of what the platform is, advertisers hire their agencies to be cognizant making efficient buys and not just to spend less money.

      • Hi Deke – I think our ideas mesh somewhat. If as an advertiser I have Identified a “Chuck” demographic, and attempt to reach a thousand of them, where do my dollars do the most good? Are the younger, more tech-savvy viewers (the ones who spend) watching on NBC or on their computers? If 60 percent of them watch on-line, and it costs me 40 percent of NBC’s fee to reach them there, then that’s where I’m going.

    • I agree. I for one get all my TV from other sources, primarily my laptop and Ipod, I don’t even own a TV,

  7. I would like to say that I thnk that compared with the other shows on this list advertisers who pay to advertise during Chuck I thik are getting a bit of a bargain.I mean here we are about 6 weeks into new season and the new Dramas Playboy Club has been cancelled after rating about 1.3, Prime suspect got a 1.3 Harrys Law 1.2, community got 1.7 for its last new episode and even SVU only gor a 2.1
    It is interesting also that you said last years Chucks Monday Fig was $94.697 and yet the Sing off this year was $81.541. Sing off ratings yesterday was 1.5 but the last week in october last year Chuck got a 1.9 even the Event was still getting a 2.0 and Chase was getting a 1.3 and we know what happened to them so my Question is did they know that these shows where not going to do well as Chuck last year or if it is just because of the Economy prices have gone down.
    Interstingly Catle was $134,155 Now $121,914 but House is lower now at 9.00 than last years 8.00 slot but it will rise when it goes back into that earlier time slot.
    Last years figs.http://adage.com/article/ad-age-graphics/american-idol-spots-priciest-prime-time/146495/#mon
    This years. http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/chart-american-idol-nfl-duke-priciest-tv-spot/230547/#mon

  8. How much lower are the production budgets of Nikita and Supernatural compared to Chuck? How do those shows make any money with even smaller ad prices?

  9. My previous attempt to post didn’t seem to work. Okay, shortened version.

    How much of a percentage of a shows ad’s are sold at upfronts? Because Chuck seems to have been quite badly undersold if it is just a small percentage then surely the network can start charging higher rates for any ad time bought now? Basically do they lock in nearly all the ads at the upfronts or just a small section?

    If they still have plenty of spots to sell through the year will they be able to charge a better rate bearing in mind how many shows have alrady crashed and burned?

    • The bulk of ad inventory is sold during upfronts. Exact percentages aren’t released, but AdWeek reports that 75-80% of commercial spots were bought up by the first week of June. (Source) Selling ad space is a gamble on both sides: the network tries to predict ratings and price accordingly, but if the shows don’t perform at a certain level, they have to provide “make up” ad inventory to the advertisers who bought time during those shows. On the other hand, if a show really takes off and does better than expected in the ratings, then the advertisers get more bang for their buck. The networks adjust their rates – up or down depending on the show – at the January upfronts when they sell ad inventory for the second half of the season.

  10. Mel. Thanks for the reply. So there are two upfronts? So the ads sold in spring are only till the new year?

    Are there no ads sold for Feb onwards until the January upfronts? Does that mean if Chuck does better that it might bring in more network money through the later episodes?

    Those rates are very odd in some cases it has to be said. I don’t see how something like the Good Wife on CBS can charge more than NCIS LA. Very odd.