After five years of owning the most expensive ad placement in prime time, Fox‘s “American Idol” has fallen to No. 2 on Ad Age’s annual list of shows with the highest ad rates.
With its ratings falling as of late, the average cost of a 30-second spot on the Wednesday night edition of “Idol” has fallen by a third, to $340,825, according to the Ad Age story.
Taking over the top slot is NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” the top-rated show on the air. Last year both SNF and “Idol” were charging $500,000 for an average 30-second spot. This year football is commanding $545,142.
ABC’s “Modern Family” is now #3; Fox’s “New Girl” is at #4; and Idol’s Thursday night edition coming is at #5.
Fox sitcoms “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” take the sixth and seventh slots. The average cost of a 30-second ad in “The Simpsons” jumps to $286,131, up from $254,260 last season. The average cost of a 30-second spot in “Family Guy” rises to $276,690, up from last season’s $264,912, according to Ad Age’s calculations.
Two CBS sitcoms crack the top 10 for the first time. “Big Bang Theory” and “2 Broke Girls” now hold the eighth and ninth spots, respectively. Its “Two and a Half Men” came in at #10. A 30-second spot is now $247,261.
The average cost of a 30-second spot in Big Bang is $275,573. Last season, it was $198,348.
The costliest new show, says Ad Age, is Fox’s “The Following,” a drama starring Kevin Bacon as the pursuer of a serial killer that is set to air Mondays. The average cost of a 30-second ad in the new program is expected to be $194,425.
