Advertisers are increasingly abandoning television in favor of streaming, leading to a drop in prices for 30-second spots on television.
The cost of prime time advertising is decreasing for the majority of programs broadcast on major channels, according to AdAge. This can be explained in particular by the decline in audiences in favor of streaming platforms, where expensive inventories compete to capture television advertising budgets. Among the 53 series tracked by AdAge on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW and Amazon Prime Video, 33 saw the price of their 30-second spots decrease, 8 increased, and 11 remained stable.
The domination of streaming over TV audiences
According to Nielsen’s The Gauge, traditional TV accounts for about 20% of TV viewership each month, while streaming now exceeds 40% of total TV consumption (cable is at 25-30%). However, in terms of advertising, cable and traditional television still dominate with 86.9% of advertising exposure, while streaming only accounts for 13.1%.
Since The Gauge launched in 2021, streaming audience share has grown significantly, while traditional TV audience share remains stable. As of May 2021, traditional television represented 25% of the audience, streaming 26% and cable 39%.
The most expensive programs for advertisers
The 10 most expensive programs in the 2024-25 season are split mostly between NBC and ABC, which have four each, while CBS and Amazon Prime Video have just one. This is the first time in at least ten years that Fox has not appeared in this ranking.
The three most expensive shows of the prime time season remain unchanged. NBC’s Sunday Night Football saw an increase of 14%, with an average price of $1,008,746 for a 30-second spot. ABC’s Monday Night Football, simulcast on ABC and ESPN since the Hollywood strikes, is in second place with $637,718, up 13%.
Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football ranked third with an advertising cost of $562,918, down 3% from the previous year. This stability shows the continued appeal of live sports, one of the few formats capable of bringing together a large audience simultaneously.
Reality TV shows captivate advertisers
Ranks four through six are dominated by singing competitions. ABC’s American Idol is the most expensive unscripted program with an average cost of $131,943. Next comes The Voice on NBC, with costs of $126,426 for the Tuesday broadcast and $118,115 for the Monday broadcast.
In seventh place, CBS’ Survivor is the network’s only program in the top 10, with an average cost of $95,139 per commercial spot. The only scripted program to make this ranking is NBC’s Chicago Fire, whose price fell 33% to $92,666 on average.
A difficult year for certain scripted series
Some of this year’s awards are being compared to 2022 as Hollywood strikes in 2023 have affected the programming schedule by increasing the broadcast of sports, unscripted content and reruns. Last year, Ad Age had to follow the prices of fall schedules without certainty about the return of scripted series.
The last two places in the top 10 went to ABC with Dancing with the Stars at $89,817 per spot, and The Golden Bachelorette at $86,955, up significantly from the previous year’s $48,338 for The Golden Bachelor.
Notable price increases: crime and news in the lead
The most marked increase concerns 20/20, ABC’s news program, with an average advertising cost of $57,755, up 31%. Increased advertiser demand for this program, due to the notoriety of David Muir and the popularity of nonpartisan news in a polarized political climate, partly explains this increase.
CBS also recorded an increase for its series Blue Bloods, whose advertising costs increased by 12% to reach $79,185. On the other hand, Grey’s Anatomy on ABC saw a spectacular 68% drop in its average rate, going from $207,498 to $65,922. Krapopolis, Fox’s animated series, recorded the biggest drop for a scripted series with a price drop of 47% to $33,756.
The data collected by AdAge comes from a combination of media buying agencies and should be interpreted as trend indicators rather than fixed prices. These numbers vary depending on inventory, non-traditional ad integrations and advertiser-agency relationships.
These prices reflect the agreements reached during this year’s negotiations, and may change for purchases made closer to the broadcast dates in the “scatter” market.
