Cost of a 30 Second Commercial

Each year Ad Age does a survey of the cost of a 30 second ad for all prime time shows on the major networks and below are the prices for this fall’s prime time show advertising slot. This should put in perspective the pricing related to online organic and pay-per-click search marketing. The overall average for a 30 second commercial is $142,000. Relatively speaking SEO and PPC can have the same or greater reach but with much lower investment and much more accurate and real-time measurement of results. Also are you considering to purchase a domain with direct type-in traffic? Imagine how much you would spend for equivalent TV advertising over the course of 1, 2, 3 or more years. Here is the list:

Show Cost
Sunday Night Football $512,000
American Idol $502,000
The X-Factor $321,000
Glee $267,000
Family Guy $265,000
The Simpsons $254,000
Two and a Half Men $252,500
Modern Family $249,000
Dancing With the Stars $233,500
The Voice $206,500
Grey’s Anatomy $203,000
Big Bang Theory $198,000
Mike & Molly $196,500
House $184,000
The Office $179,000
The Bachelor $177,500
Person of Interest $174,500
Terra Nova $168,000
How I Met Your Mother $167,000
2 Broke Girl $167,000
Alcatraz $160,000
NCIS $155,000
The Mentalist $155,000
Hate My Teenage Daughter $151,000
American Dad $150,000
Desperate Housewives $149,000
Bones $145,700
Survivor $144,500
Cleveland Show $143,500
The Good Wife $137,500
Criminal Minds $137,500
CSI $133,500
NCIS: Los Angeles $133,000
30 Rock $133,000
Unforgettable $132,000
Hawaii Five-0 $130,500
Happy Endings $130,000
Private Practice $129,000
The Middle $127,500
Suburgatory $127,500
New Girl $125,500
Raising Hope $125,500
The Amazing Race $124,000
60 Minutes $122,000
Castle $122,000
Man Up $122,000
Whitney $120,500
Awake $117,500
Last Man Standing $117,000
Parks and Recreation $117,000
The Biggest Loser $106,000
The Firm $104,500
L&O: SVU $104,500
Cougar Town $104,000
CSI Miami $98,000
Parenthood $96,000
Community $93,500
Football Night in America $93,000
Prime Suspect $93,000
Up All Night $82,500
College Football Sat $82,500
The Sing-Off $81,500
America’s Funniest Home Videos $80,000
Extreme Makeover $73,000
CSI NY $72,000
Shark Tank $67,000
20/20 $67,000
Harry’s Law $64,000
A Gifted Man $63,800
America’s Next Top Model $61,000
Fringe $57,500
Vampire Diaries $54,000
Gossip Girl $50,000
Chuck $50,000
Hart of Dixie $47,500
48 Hours Mystery $43,400
Dateline $39,600
90210 $38,500

And Here’s the same list in alphabetical order by show
Show Cost
90210 $38,500
20/20 $67,000
Private Practice $129,000
2 Broke Girl $167,000
30 Rock $133,000
48 Hours Mystery $43,400
60 Minutes $122,000
A Gifted Man $63,800
Alcatraz $160,000
America’s Funniest Home Videos $80,000
America’s Next Top Model $61,000
American Dad $150,000
American Idol $502,000
Awake $117,500
Big Bang Theory $198,000
Bones $145,700
Castle $122,000
Chuck $50,000
Cleveland Show $143,500
College Football Sat $82,500
Community $93,500
Cougar Town $104,000
Criminal Minds $137,500
CSI $133,500
CSI Miami $98,000
CSI NY $72,000
Dancing With the Stars $233,500
Dateline $39,600
Desperate Housewives $149,000
Extreme Makeover $73,000
Family Guy $265,000
Football Night in America $93,000
Fringe $57,500
Glee $267,000
Gossip Girl $50,000
Grey’s Anatomy $203,000
Happy Endings $130,000
Harry’s Law $64,000
Hart of Dixie $47,500
Hate My Teenage Daughter $151,000
Hawaii Five-0 $130,500
House $184,000
How I Met Your Mother $167,000
L&O: SVU $104,500
Last Man Standing $117,000
Man Up $122,000
Mike & Molly $196,500
Modern Family $249,000
NCIS $155,000
NCIS: Los Angeles $133,000
New Girl $125,500
Parenthood $96,000
Parks and Recreation $117,000
Person of Interest $174,500
Prime Suspect $93,000
Raising Hope $125,500
Shark Tank $67,000
Suburgatory $127,500
Sunday Night Football $512,000
Survivor $144,500
Terra Nova $168,000
The Amazing Race $124,000
The Bachelor $177,500
The Biggest Loser $106,000
The Firm $104,500
The Good Wife $137,500
The Mentalist $155,000
The Middle $127,500
The Office $179,000
The Simpsons $254,000
The Sing-Off $81,500
The Voice $206,500
The X-Factor $321,000
Two and a Half Men $252,500
Unforgettable $132,000
Up All Night $82,500
Vampire Diaries $54,000
Whitney $120,500

Source: Ad Age