"The Big Bang Theory" About to Be Renewed By CBS Until 2014!

[Brian Damage]

CBS and Warner Bros. TV are close to sealing a $260 million-plus three-season renewal pact for "The Big Bang Theory."
The Eye and Warner Bros. have been quietly negotiating the renewal for some time and are said to have settled on the major points shortly before the holidays. Reps for CBS and Warner Bros. TV declined to comment, but the deal is said to cover 66 episodes -- 22 segs per season -- at a license fee of about $4 million to $4.5 million. That's a big bump from the Eye's current license fee of a little more than $1 million per seg. The deal takes the show, co-created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, through its seventh season.

"Big Bang" is a rare example of a primetime skein that would have been a free agent after its license term with CBS expired at the end of this season.

In most instances, networks insist on perpetual license fee agreements at the pilot stage to guard against the threat of a studio leveraging a show's success down the road to an "ER"-level license fee -- as Warner Bros. was able to do in 1998 when "ER"was at its peak and up for renewal. ("ER's" $13 million license fee from NBC is a biz record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.)

But "Big Bang" hails from the Chuck Lorre Prods. hit factory, which meant that Warner Bros. had clout from the start to secure optimal contract terms for the show and nix a perpetual license fee provision.

"Friends" in its heyday commanded a $10 million license fee, primarily because the six stars were pulling down $1 million a seg apiece. By contrast, "Bang's" three primary stars, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco, are making six-figure salaries after recent salary renegotiations.

Moreover, the economics of primetime TV are much changed since the "Friends" era. The renewal deal was reached between top brass at WBTV and CBS without any fireworks and without threats of WBTV taking "Bang" to the highest bidder among the Big Four nets. It's understood that both camps recognized early on that there was little to be gained by moving the show from its original network home.

The renewal deal with CBS puts "Bang's" profitability into the stratosphere. Warner Bros. inked a record-setting off-network syndication sale for the show in May that calls for TBS to pony up $1.5 million a seg for the rerun rights, plus WB will reap even more coin from syndie sales to local stations and from barter advertising sales once the reruns begin airing this fall (Daily Variety, May 17).

In March 2009, when "Bang" was at the tail end of its second season, CBS gave the show a two-season renewal, along with a three-season pickup for "Two and a Half Men," also from Chuck Lorre Prods./WBTV. Since then, "Big Bang" has blown up into a tentpole hit for the Eye and a force in the pop culture zeitgeist.

This season, the Eye took the risky move of moving the show from its Monday 9:30 p.m. berth behind "Men" to the Thursday 8 p.m. anchor slot. "Bang" has more than met the challenge. For the season to date, "Bang" is running neck-and-neck with ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Modern Family" for the mantle of primetime's top-rated scripted skein in adults 18-49, with "Bang" averaging a 4.8 rating to "Grey's" 5.0 and "Family's" 4.9.

In total viewers, "Bang" ranks No. 11 among all primetime skeins with an average of 13.9 million. Among laffers, it's No. 2 behind "Men" (14.7 million).

On the "Men" front, there was much discussion on Tuesday about the physical health of star Charlie Sheen and whether the network and studio were considering shutting down production in light of Sheen's personal issues.

As of Tuesday, production on "Men" was proceeding without interruption. Sheen spokesman Stan Rosenfield issued a pointed statement in response to an online report asserting that Sheen had not reported for duty on the Warner Bros. lot.

"Memo to Chicken Little: The sky remains in place," Rosenfield said.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118030093?refCatId=14

[Pavan]

Now official:

"BAZINGA!"

CBS AND WARNER BROS. TELEVISION ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR BROADCAST AGREEMENT FOR "THE BIG BANG THEORY"

Deal Extends Top-Rated, Critically Acclaimed Comedy Series through the 2013-2014 Season

CBS Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television have reached a multi-year broadcast agreement for the top-rated, critically acclaimed comedy, THE BIG BANG THEORY, it was announced today by Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment, and Peter Roth, President, Warner Bros. Television.

The agreement renews THE BIG BANG THEORY for an additional three years, extending it through the 2013-2014 season.

"It doesn't take a theoretical physicist to see why this show is a BIG part of our comedy future," said Nina Tassler. "From ratings to critical acclaim to pop culture buzz, it's struck a chord on all levels. The creative genius of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and the on-camera talents of an amazing young ensemble have created a comedy that will entertain viewers for a long time. We're proud to partner with Warner Bros. on another highly successful, long-running comedy."

"We are delighted and grateful that CBS has once again rewarded THE BIG BANG THEORY with a multiyear renewal," said Peter Roth. "This is a testament to the inspired and brilliant work of the show's entire creative team, and we look forward to continuing this highly successful partnership."

THE BIG BANG THEORY, which premiered in September 2007, had been part of CBS's top-rated Monday comedy block for the past three seasons. It finished 2009-2010 as primetime's #1 scripted series in adults 18-49 and the #2 comedy among viewers.

Currently in its fourth season, THE BIG BANG THEORY has successfully transitioned to its new Thursday time period (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT), emerging as the night's dominant comedy in viewers and adults 18-49. It has also helped launch a second night of comedy for the Network.

THE BIG BANG THEORY is averaging 13.89 million viewers (+7% versus the year ago time period), 4.7/14 in adults 18-49 (+15%) and 5.9/16 in adults 25-54 (+16%).

In addition to being a ratings success, THE BIG BANG THEORY has also earned critical acclaim and award recognition. It won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" for star Jim Parsons (2010), a People's Choice Award for "Favorite TV Comedy" (2010) and was the recipient of two Television Critics Association Awards in 2009 for "Outstanding Achievement in Comedy" as well as "Individual Achievement in Comedy" for Parsons.

This year, the series is nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, which will be announced on Sunday, for "Best Television Series � Comedy or Musical" and "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series � Comedy or Musical."

THE BIG BANG THEORY stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar. Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady created the series and also serve as executive producers with Lee Aronsohn. The series is from Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television.