Friends Commands Highest Ad Rate on TV

[TJ]

http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?28275

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Now we know how NBC pays those big salaries for
the cast of "Friends."

The hit comedy, which began its ninth season last week in front of more than 33
million viewers, commands the highest price for a 30-second commercial of any series
on television.

The average network spot on "Friends," TV's top-rated show last season, costs
$455,700, according to an annual survey by Advertising Age magazine. The show,
which won an Emmy for best comedy on Sept. 22, draws huge audiences overall and
among the advertiser-coveted demographics of adults 18-34 and 18-49.

Last season, the six cast members renegotiated their contracts and will receive a
reported $1 million per episode for this season, which will most likely be the show's
last.

Another pricey NBC series, "ER," is the second most expensive for advertisers,
costing $438,514 per 30-second spot. Last season's leader, CBS' "Survivor," fell to
third in the current survey at $418,750 for 30 seconds.

The cost of advertising on "Friends" is up 27 percent from last season, according to
the survey, roughly corresponding with the show's 21-percent improvement in ratings
among adults 18-49.