Here’s how much it costs to advertise in TV’s biggest shows – Complete chart below

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Out of the 66 returning series on the big four broadcast networks and The CW, 41 saw the cost for a 30-second ad decrease in the 2018-19 season, according to Ad Age’s annual pricing survey of media agencies. Only 12 returning shows received a price hike, and another 13 remained relatively steady compared with last year.

And TV’s biggest property—the NFL—might have hit a ceiling in commercial prices, at least for now.

After two years of price hikes for a 30-second commercial in NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” those increases have stalled this season. Advertisers are paying $665,677 on average for a 30-second spot in the broadcast, about $30,000 less than the $699,602 advertisers paid last year.

Still, “Sunday Night Football” remains by far the most expensive TV show for advertisers (excluding Fox’s late-national NFL games on Sunday afternoons, which are not technically in prime time and average over $700,000 a pop).

“Thursday Night Football” experienced the same lull as Sunday nights. Fox is getting about $100,000 less for a 30-second commercial in those games than CBS or NBC received when they aired them last season. Advertisers are paying $434,078 on average for a commercial in “Thursday Night Football,” compared with about $550,000 for the games on CBS and NBC last year.

Top 10 Priciest Shows on Broadcast For Advertisers

1
Sunday Night Football
$665,677
2
(tie)
Thursday Night Football
$434,078
2
This is Us
$433,866
4
The Big Bang Theory
$285,934
5
Empire
$227,494
6
(tie)
Young Sheldon
$213,536
6
The Voice (Mon)
$212,618
8
Grey’s Anatomy
$204,792
9
The Conners
$201,065
10
The Voice (Tues)
$193,140

“Thursday Night Football,” whose CBS and NBC editions last season tied for second place among broadcast’s most expensive shows, again deadlocked for No. 2, this time with NBC’s “This Is Us.”

The merciless tear-jerker about two generations of family moved up from No. 4 last year, now averaging $433,866 per 30-second interlude. That makes “This Is Us” one of the few gainers from last year, up 10 percent from $394,428.

“This is Us” returned for its third season last month to 10.3 million total viewers and a 2.9 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic that advertisers want most. That was down about 20 percent in total viewers and 26 percent in the demo from the season 2 premiere. But it is still the highest-rated broadcast series among 18-to-49-year-olds outside sports.

Ad Age’s survey is assembled using information from as many as six media-buying agencies. (See our 2017 pricing chart here.) The resulting prices should be viewed as directional indicators of unit cost and not the actual price that every advertiser paid for a 30-second spot. The numbers are based on agency estimates that can vary depending on the amount of inventory purchased from a network, the inclusion of any nontraditional advertising such as product placements, and the relationship that an advertiser and media-buying agency has with a network. The numbers also do not reflect multiplatform sales. Most TV advertising is typically purchased as part of larger negotiations, not on a one-off basis.

These estimates also reflect the prices that advertisers and networks agreed on in this year’s upfront marketplace. Prices have likely changed for those buying spots closer to the air date in the so-called “scatter” market that follows.

In its final season, “The Big Bang Theory” moved up two places to No. 4, averaging $285,934, on par with its cost last year.

Fox’s “Empire” remains steady at No. 5, but saw a 29 percent plunge in its price. The hip-hop drama returned for its fifth season to 6.1 million total viewers and 1.9 rating in the demo, down 12 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

CBS’s “Young Sheldon” joins the top 10 for the first time, tied for No. 6 with the Monday night episode of “The Voice” on NBC. In its sophomore season, the spin-off of “Big Bang” cost advertisers $213,536, up 18 percent.

Commercials in the Monday “Voice” saw an 18 percent price drop, to $212,618 from $259,180. Tuesday night’s episode of the reality singing competition fell to No. 10 on the chart from No. 9 last year, down 16 percent to $193,140 on average.

In its 15th season, ABC’s resilient “Grey’s Anatomy” moved up two spots to No. 8, making it the oldest entertainment series in the top 10. The Shonda Rhimes medical drama cost advertisers $204,792, roughly the same as last year.

At No. 9, “The Conners” is the list’s other newcomer (at least arguably). The show replaces “Roseanne” this season on Tuesday nights, filling the void created when ABC cancelled that reboot after a racist Twitter outburst from Roseanne Barr. “The Conners,” which follows the lives of the family in the aftermath of the death of Barr’s character, cost advertisers $201,065 on average, 21 percent more than the $166,573 for the “Roseanne” reboot last season.

Missing from this year’s top 10 is another ABC comedy, “Modern Family,” marking the first time since the show debuted in 2009 that it hasn’t cracked the list. While no official announcement has been made, the current season of the series is expected to be its last. The cost for a 30-second ad in “Modern Family” peaked in 2012, when it came in at No. 3 with an average of $330,908.

This year, half a minute during “Modern Family” averaged $164,767, down 31 percent from a year earlier in one the biggest percentage price drops on broadcast.

Other shows that took a big price hit include two other ABC comedies. “Fresh Off the Boat” fell 34 percent and “Speechless” plunged 50 percent after they both moved to Fridays this season, a backwater compared to earlier nights in the week.

NBC’s reboot of “Will & Grace” saw its price drop by 24 percent, to $161,373.

One of this season’s biggest gainers was Fox’s “9-1-1,” the Ryan Murphy drama. Advertisers are paying $173,854 on average, up 29 percent from last year. And ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” a breakout hit from last season, saw a 24 percent increase to $155,916 on average.

How Much For a 30-Second TV Spot?

America’s Funniest Home Videos Sunday
7 p.m.
56,270 57,874 -3%
Dancing With the Stars Juniors Sunday
8 p.m.
102,145 NA NA
Shark Tank Sunday
9 p.m.
80,245 100,559 -20%
Dancing with the Stars Monday
8 p.m.
113,977 139,448 -18%
The Good Doctor Monday
10 p.m.
155,916 125,678 24%
The Conners Tuesday
8 p.m.
201,065 NA NA
The Kids Are Alright Tuesday
8:30 p.m.
115,656 NA NA
Black-ish Tuesday
9 p.m.
117,766 134,639 -13%
Splitting Up Together Tuesday
9:30 p.m.
104,563 115,857 -10%
The Rookie Tuesday
10 p.m.
87,580 NA NA
The Goldbergs Wednesday
8 p.m.
135,124 160,193 -16%
American Housewife Wednesday
8:30 p.m.
122,193 129,083 -5%
Modern Family Wednesday
9 p.m.
164,767 239,782 -31%
Single Parents Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
120,666 NA NA
A Million Little Things Wednesday
10 p.m.
142,635 NA NA
Grey’s Anatomy Thursday
8 p.m.
204,792 213,576 -4%
Station 19 Thursday
9 p.m.
120,301 NA NA
How to Get Away With Murder Thursday
10 p.m.
126,951 164,984 -23%
Fresh Off The Boat Friday
8 p.m.
78,862 119,589 -34%
Speechless Friday
8:30 p.m.
69,418 139,556 -50%
Child Support Friday
9 p.m.
69,324 NA NA
20/20 Friday
10 p.m.
44,410 63,400 -30%
Saturday Night Football Saturday
8 p.m.
92,936 97,004 -4%
The Bachelor midseason 139,797 139,629 0%
The Bachelorette midseason 153,096 NA NA
American Idol midseason 154,096 191,999 -20%
Marvel’s Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. midseason 74,422 94,921 -22%
The Fix midseason 74,834 NA NA
Grand Hotel midseason 81,411 NA NA
Whiskey Cavalier midseason 89,664 NA NA
Schooled midseason 89,835 NA NA
60 Minutes Sunday
7 p.m.
105,743 124,250 -15%
God Friended Me Sunday
8 p.m.
86,113 NA NA
NCIS: Los Angeles Sunday
9 p.m.
101,449 116,268 -13%
Madam Secretary Sunday
10 p.m.
65,500 82,653 -21%
The Neighborhood Monday
8 p.m.
84,417 NA NA
Happy Together Monday
8:30 p.m.
98,261 NA NA
Magnum P.I. Monday
9 p.m.
99,430 NA NA
Bull Monday
9 p.m.
102,620 128,768 -20%
NCIS Tuesday
8 p.m.
135,960 139,792 -3%
FBI Tuesday
9 p.m.
109,836 NA NA
NCIS: New Orleans Tuesday
10 p.m.
100,609 98,421 2%
Survivor Wednesday
8 p.m.
137,547 141,880 -3%
Seal Team Wednesday
9 p.m.
104,267 134,251 -22%
Criminal Minds Wednesday
9 p.m.
105,041 115,505 -9%
The Big Bang Theory Thursday
8 p.m.
285,934 285,908 0%
Young Sheldon Thursday
8:30 p.m.
213,536 180,393 18%
Mom Thursday
9 p.m.
126,395 122,318 3%
Murphy Brown Thursday
9:30 p.m.
120,734 NA NA
S.W.A.T. Thursday
10 p.m.
105,103 121,586 -14%
MacGyver Friday
8 p.m.
67,190 76,143 -12%
Hawaii Five-0 Friday
9 p.m.
87,701 87,302 0%
Blue Bloods Friday
10 p.m.
85,069 83,319 2%
Crimetime Saturday Saturday
8 p.m.
29,640 NA NA
Crimetime Saturday Saturday
9 p.m.
29,141 NA NA
48 Hours Saturday
10 p.m.
48,060 36,383 32%
The Amazing Race midseason 117,871 NA NA
Celebrity Big Brother midseason 92,409 NA NA
Sunday Night Football Sunday
8 p.m.
665,677 699,602 -5%
The Voice (Monday) Monday
8 p.m.
212,618 259,180 -18%
Manifest Monday
10 p.m.
167,311 NA NA
The Voice (Tuesday) Tuesday
8 p.m.
193,140 229,956 -16%
This Is Us Tuesday
9 p.m.
433,866 394,428 10%
New Amsterdam Tuesday
10 p.m.
129,736 NA NA
Chicago Med Wednesday
8 p.m.
161,561 134,463 20%
Chicago Fire Wednesday
9 p.m.
147,689 138,698 6%
Chicago P.D. Wednesday
10 p.m.
130,206 139,869 -7%
Superstore Thursday
8 p.m.
106,487 112,811 -6%
The Good Place Thursday
8:30 p.m.
125,498 115,667 9%
Will & Grace Thursday
9 p.m.
161,373 211,856 -24%
I Feel Bad Thursday
9:30 p.m.
99,902 NA NA
Law & Order: SVU Thursday
10 p.m.
105,030 NA NA
Blindspot Friday
8 p.m.
67,477 90,846 -26%
Midnight Texas Friday
9 p.m.
64,088 NA NA
Dateline NBC Friday
10 p.m.
49,378 52,871 -7%
Dateline Mystery Saturday
8 p.m.
36,532 41,742 -12%
Saturday Night Live Encores Saturday
9 p.m.
54,505 32,919 66%
A.P. Bio midseason 80,289 NA NA
Brooklyn Nine-Nine midseason 91,029 NA NA
Abby’s midseason 72,988 NA NA
The Blacklist midseason 87,287 114,957 -24%
Good Girls midseason 99,669 NA NA
The Enemy Within midseason 98,410 NA NA
The Village midseason 108,892 NA NA
NFL Game Sunday 687,921 NA NA
The Simpsons Sunday
8 p.m.
162,725 140,699 16%
Bob’s Burger Sunday
8:30 p.m.
99,184 75,333 32%
Family Guy Sunday
9 p.m.
120,103 139,295 -14%
REL Sunday
9:30 p.m.
114,573 NA NA
The Resident Monday
8 p.m.
108,593 NA NA
911 Monday
9 p.m.
173,854 129,110 35%
The Gifted Tuesday
8 p.m.
111,898 133,724 -16%
Lethal Weapon Tuesday
9 p.m.
98,932 132,331 -25%
Empire Wednesday
8 p.m.
216,171 305,369 -29%
Star Wednesday
9 p.m.
133,620 150,262 -11%
Thursday Night Football Thursday
8 p.m.
434,078 NA NA
Last Man Standing Friday
8 p.m.
85,574 NA NA
The Cool Kids Friday
8:30 p.m.
60,757 NA NA
Hell’s Kitchen Friday
9 p.m.
79,082 94,507 -16%
Fox Sports Saturday Saturday
8 p.m.
67,277 82,599 -19%
The Passage midseason 99,627 NA NA
Proven Innocent midseason 68,438 NA NA
Cosmos: Possible Worlds midseason 107,592 NA NA
Supergirl Sunday
8 p.m.
31,541 50,511 -37%
Charmed Sunday
9 p.m.
24,732 NA NA
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Monday
8 p.m.
28,803 37,525 -23%
Arrow Monday
9 p.m.
25,637 37,453 -32%
The Flash Tuesday
8 p.m.
45,965 62,425 -26%
Black Lightning Tuesday
9 p.m.
34,802 NA NA
Riverdale Wednesday
8 p.m.
29,662 32,831 -10
All American Wednesday
8 p.m.
30,846 NA NA
Supernatural Thursday
8 p.m.
29,409 34,430 -15
Legacies Thursday
9 p.m.
27,154 NA NA
Dynasty Friday
8 p.m.
17,859 38,251 -53%
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Friday
9 p.m.
15,938 14,371 11%

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