SCOTT GARFIELD / ABC
Some enterprising game manufacturer needs to come up with a version of Monopoly, but for network TV. You’d buy up shows, try to monopolize contiguous “programming blocks,” and bankrupt your opponents by charging, not for rent, but for commercials.
In the Fall 2007 version of Network Monopoly, Grey’s Anatomy (an estimated $419,000 a spot) would be Boardwalk, and WWE Smackdown and Dateline NBC Saturday would be Baltic and Mediterranean ($27,000 and $28,000). Advertising Age has just released its assessment of the most and least expensive TV shows of the fall season for ad-buyers, and it’s fascinating stuff for any of you interested in the biz side of the biz.
What a difference demos make, for instance: while Grey’s fetches $419,000, CSI–in the same time slot with roughly comparable overall ratings–gets a mere $248,000 for its (older) eyeballs. And The Office–with a much smaller, but well-heeled audience also at 9 p.m. E.T.–gets a respectable $186,000.
For new shows, the rates basically amount to advertisers laying bets. Private Practice attracted a $208,000 wager; its timeslot predecessor Pushing Daisies, a more skeptical $115,000. Fox’s scheduled and already-yanked Nashville got a mere, and in retrospect wise, $56,000.
Ad Age has a download of the whole schedule (PDF file). It’s fascinating stuff. Of course, it’s only good until midseason, when American Idol returns and kicks Grey’s down the real-estate ladder.