Comedy Central Jacks up Ad Rates for Jon Stewart's Goodbye
/Comedy Central is going to cash in big on Jon Stewart signing off from The Daily Show.
The network is asking advertisers to plunk down more than $1 million to buy ads across the network in order to secure a spot during the Aug. 6 finale.
The buy-in packages have gone as high as $2 million, according to ad buyers.
“They’re definitely trying to monetize this,” said one ad buyer. “The ad people have stepped up and it’s been good for them. They’ve been able to leverage substantial packages this quarter.”
As part of those packages, the Viacom-owned network also jacked up the rate for a single 30-second to between $200,000 and $250,000 — a huge hike from the usual $30,000 to $40,000 the show charges.
One source familiar with pricing told The NY Post that current rates are going for “10 times” the cost of the regular season as finale day nears.
The last few nights leading up to his farewell are fetching as much as $100,000, buyers said.
The sky-high rates are getting closer to those of a prime-time show. AMC’s “Walking Dead” is currently the most expensive scripted show on TV, with spots selling for $400,000, according to Ad Age. NBC’s Sunday night NFL coverage tops the list at $627,000 for a 30-second spot.