Television Commercials

[ThomWV]

How much do television commercials cost? Not a minute at the super bowl and not 10 minutes sometime after midnight on the Comedy Channel, just standard non-prime time fifteen-second shots?

I would love to see someone like George Foreman on the tube for a few seconds each day selling the Democratic Party just like it was a hot dog machine or car wax. George could showcase the party's very good points, equality for women and minorities, rational pay and a trade policy that contributes to the national wealth rather than export it. We have the right ideas folks, we just need a methodology and a spokesperson who can connect. I suggest George.

[napi21]

1. I don't know, but I think it dpends on the show and it's viewership.

I know it's more expenssive to have a spot during "Desperate Housewives" than a not so popular one. That's why all the different shows try so hard to get their #'s up...they can charge more for the ads.

[Rick Myers]

2. The dirty little secret of TV advertising is

Buy LOCAL avails on cable systems. 30 second spots can be had for $8 to $30 per. LAst time I did a buy in a major market, we got USA, CNN and MTV for about $22 each, and Fox News was only $8 per spot (no, we did NOT buy Fox).

[mcscajun]

3. Every market, time slot and show has differing rates for ads

That's why the Neilsen ratings are such a big deal. Those results help marketing types establish how much their companies are willing to pay and the networks to establish how much they can get away with charging. The actual cost winds up somewhere in-between, depending on the advertiser's clout to negotiate from the network's establshed rates.