SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 1 DATA REPORT HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS
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SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 3 ABOUT THIS REPORT REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS DATA SOURCE: SQAD MediaCosts: National (NetCosts) Our Data SQAD Team has pulled historical cost data (2004-2006 season) for the NBC juggernaut, Will & Grace to see where the show was sitting for ad values compared to the competition; and to see how those same numbers would compete in the current TV landscape. The data in this report is showing the AVERAGE :30sec AD COST for each of the programs listed, averaged across the date range indicated. When comparing ad costs for shows across different years, ad costs for those programs have been adjusted for inflation to reflect 2017 rates in order to create parity and consistency. IN THIS REPORT: 2004-2005 Comedy Programming Season Comparison 2005-2006 Comedy Programming Season Comparison 2004-2006 Comedy Programming Trend Report Comedy Finale Episode Comparison Will & Grace -vs- 2016 Dramas & Comedies Will & Grace -vs- 2017 Dramas & Comedies 4 5 6 7 8-9 10-11
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 4 V.S. TOP SITCOMS ON MAJOR NETWORKS - 04/05 SEASON Reviewing data from the second to last season of Will & Grace, we see that among highest rated sitcoms on broadcast TV of the time, Will & Grace came out on top for average unit costs for a 30 second ad during the Fall 2004 season. Although it had been seeing declining ratings over the previous 3 seasons, it dominated with an average ad cost of $325,619 with Everybody Loves Raymond taking second place with an average cost of $268,163, and Two and a Half Men following closely behind at $266,167. Looking at the second half of the season (Winter/Spring 2005), ratings continued to decline but Will & Grace again took first place with an average unit cost of $377,733. Second and third place remained the same, as well Everybody Loves Raymond had an average unit cost of $298,851 and Two and a Half Men had $234,260. We compared Will & Grace to the following sitcoms for the 2004-2005 season: PROGRAM FALL 2004 WINTER/SPRING 2005 Arrested Development $188,144 $180,625 Two & A Half Men $266,167 $234,260 Everybody Loves Raymond $268,163 $298,851 George Lopez Show $117,689 $102,585 My Wife & Kids $127,867 $100,026 Will & Grace $325,619 $377,733 CHART 1 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 FALL 2004 SPRING 2005 MY WIFE & KIDS GEORGE LOPEZ FALL 2004 SPRING 2005 FALL 2004 SPRING 2005 EVERYBODY LOVES RAY. TWO & A HALF MEN SPRING 2005 FALL 2004 SPRING 2005 FALL 2004 ARRESTED DEVELOP. FALL 2004 SPRING 2005
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 5 V.S. TOP SITCOMS ON MAJOR NETWORKS - 05/06 SEASON For Will & Grace s final season, we compared it against other top sitcoms on broadcast TV and discovered that falling viewership had an impact on its place as top earner for comedies. Will & Grace came in second during the Fall 2005 season with an average unit cost of $186,883, right behind Two and a Half Men ($267,451). That 70s Show and The Office were neck and neck after Will & Grace, with average unit costs of $170,919 and $171,773, respectively. As we transitioned into the back half of the season, average unit costs for Will & Grace jumped nearly 30% from the fall season to $242,500 keeping it in second place behind Two and a Half Men ($261,927), and fending off challenges from The Office and How I Met Your Mother. We compared Will & Grace to the following sitcoms for the 2005-2006 season: PROGRAM WINTER/ ACCORDING TO JIM $126,806 $99,919 BERNIE MAC $85,029 $92,388 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER $159,014 $185,827 KING OF QUEENS $154,829 $167,013 THAT 70'S SHOW $170,919 $137,331 TWO AND A HALF MEN $267,451 $261,927 $186,883 $242,500 THE OFFICE $171,773 $199,298 CHART 2 50 100 150 200 250 300 THE OFFICE TWO & A HALF MEN THAT 70 S SHOW KING OF QUEENS HOW I MET YOUR MOT. BERNIE MAC ACCORDING TO JIM
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 6 TOP SITCOMS TREND REPORT - 04-06 SEASON Pulling back to view the trends over the last two seasons of the show, the year/year comparison trend shows Will & Grace experienced a dip during its last season, 2005-2006, coming in second for average unit costs at $242,500, behind Two & A Half Men ($261,927). Despite the drop, it still topped popular shows of the time like King of Queens ($167,013), That 70s Show ($137,331), and According to Jim ($99,919). We compared Will & Grace to the following sitcoms for the 2004-2006 season: PROGRAM FALL 2004 SPRING 2005 ACCORDING TO JIM $127,115 $117,227 $126,806 $99,919 BERNIE MAC $164,597 $165,875 $85,029 $92,388 GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW $117,689 $102,585 $114,843 $85,461 KING OF QUEENS $126,848 $140,946 $154,829 $167,013 STILL STANDING $149,108 $148,613 $93,928 $73,858 THAT 70'S SHOW $187,113 $218,802 $170,919 $137,331 TWO AND A HALF MEN $266,167 $234,260 $267,451 $261,927 $325,619 $377,733 $186,883 $242,500 CHART 3 Fall 04 Spring 05 Fall 05 Spring 06 TWO & A HALF MEN THAT 70 S SHOW $400 $350 $300 BERNIE MAC $250 STILL STANDING $200 KING OF QUEENS ACCORDING TO JIM GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW $150 $100 $50 $0 (Thousands)
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 7 V.S. TOP SITCOM FINALES For perspective, we pulled the ad cost numbers for the finale episode of other popular comedies that said goodbye since Will & Grace dropped off the air, and equalized their average :30 costs for inflation. Of these finale broadcasts, Will & Grace saw the highest average unit cost of $574,233. King of Queens (finale May 14th, 2007) came in second at $483,245 and How I Met Your Mother (finale March 31st, 2013) in third with an average cost of $460,557. We compared the series finale show of Will & Grace to finale shows of other sitcoms on the major broadcasting networks, adjusting all the costs for inflation to reflect 2017 rates: PROGRAM AIR DATE AVG. :30 ADJ. FOR INFLATION HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER March 2014 $444,082 $460,557 KING OF QUEENS May 2007 $408,103 $483,245 UGLY BETTY April 2010 $117,571 $132,378 THE OFFICE May 2013 $356,000 $375,196 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT February 2006 $98,000 $119,349 SCRUBS March 2010 $166,600 $189,980 THAT 70'S SHOW May 2006 $182,500 $222,258 May 2006 $471,513 $574,233 CHART 4 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 THAT 70 S SHOW SCRUBS ARRESTED DEVELOP. THE OFFICE UGLY BETTY KING OF QUEENS HOW I MET YOUR MOTH.
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 8 V.S. CURRENT RUNNING SHOWS - FALL 2016 Fall 2016 Dramas When considering the motivations for NBC s resurrection of Will & Grace, it s interesting to look at the current averages for :30 ads for NBC s 60 min dramas currently running on the network. When adjusted for inflation, we see that the average :30 ad value of the worst rated season ( 05/ 06) of Will & Grace is standing in a commanding position in the field, taking second, right after the juggernaut This Is Us. While comparing the earning potential of a 30 minute sitcom against NBC s 60 minute dramas is not a perfect comparison, it illustrates the earning potential NBC may be expecting with this reboot. We compared Will & Grace to the following NBC dramas running in the Fall 2016 season: PROGRAM AVG. :30 CHICAGO FIRE $147,676 LAW & ORDER SVU $87,470 THE BLACKLIST $150,940 THIS IS US $272,702 $227,596 CHART 5 50 100 150 200 250 300 * THIS IS US THE BLACKLIST LAW & ORDER SVU CHICAGO FIRE * Adjusted for inflation
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 9 Fall 2016 Comedies When we look at the data from the top rated broadcast TV comedies airing in the Fall of 2016, we compared average unit costs during Will & Grace s last season (adjusted for inflation) and found that the adjusted average :30 from their lowest rated season ($227,596) comes in second, right behind Big Bang Theory ($281,225). Seeing that the average :30 for the final season of Will & Grace is beating popular shows like Modern Family ($209,656) and Kevin Can Wait ($143,808), it s reasonable to surmise that NBC sees the reboot as a strong competitor for ad dollars. We compared Will & Grace to the following comedies running in the Fall 2016 season: PROGRAM AVG. :30 BIG BANG THEORY $281,225 BLACK-ISH $138,232 FRESH OFF THE BOAT $106,046 KEVIN CAN WAIT $143,808 LIFE IN PIECES $128,865 MODERN FAMILY $209,656 MOM $113,103 PROGRAM AVG. :30 NEW GIRL $100,676 SUPERSTORE $105,249 THE GOOD PLACE $100,891 THE LAST MAN ON EARTH $115,347 THE MIDDLE $132,572 * $227,596 CHART 6 50 100 150 200 250 300 * THE MIDDLE LAST MAN ON EARTH THE GOOD PLACE SUPERSTORE NEW GIRL MOM MODERN FAMILY LIFE IN PIECES KEVIN CAN WAIT FRESH OFF THE BOAT BLACK-ISH BIG BANG THEORY
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 10 V.S. CURRENT RUNNING SHOWS - Spring 2017 Spring 2017 Dramas Looking at the back half of the 16/17 television season, we see that the adjusted average :30 for Will & Grace ($295,329) has taken the leading position among NBC s most-valuable drama programming, beating out all of the 60 min dramas on the network including the breakout hit, This Is Us ($256,030). Of course, the bump in average :30 unit costs for Will & Grace in 2006, which pushed it over the top, can be attributed to the series ramping towards its finale in 2006 We compared Will & Grace to the following NBC dramas running in the Spring 2017 season: PROGRAM AVG. :30 CHICAGO FIRE $122,352 LAW & ORDER SVU $83,886 THE BLACKLIST $130,058 THIS IS US $256,030 * $295,329 CHART 7 50 100 150 200 250 300 * THIS IS US THE BLACKLIST LAW & ORDER SVU CHICAGO FIRE * Adjusted for inflation
SQAD REPORT: HISTORICAL UNIT COST ANALYSIS PAGE: 11 Spring 2017 Comedies Looking at the second half of the 16/17 season, against a heavily packed broadcast TV roster of 30 min comedies, Will & Grace s adjusted average :30 ad rates from their final (and lowest rated season) puts them at the top of the heap; ahead of the Big Bang Theory ($214,025) and Modern Family ($146,543) with an average (adjusted for inflation) unit cost of $295,329. Even when comparing the average :30 unit cost of the lowest rated season of Will & Grace, against the top money-maker comedies on TV today, it s easy to see that NBC had good reason to reboot this series - if only to regain a portion of the earning potential of the original series. We compared Will & Grace to the following broadcast TV comedies running in the Spring 2017 season: PROGRAM AVG. :30 BIG BANG THEORY $214,025 BLACK-ISH $116,557 FRESH OFF THE BOAT $94,538 KEVIN CAN WAIT $106,708 LIFE IN PIECES $92,952 MODERN FAMILY $146,543 PROGRAM AVG. :30 MOM $87,749 NEW GIRL $137,417 SUPERSTORE $90,211 THE LAST MAN ON EARTH $101,049 THE MIDDLE $113,251 * $295,329 CHART 8 50 100 150 200 250 300 * THE MIDDLE LAST MAN ON EARTH SUPERSTORE NEW GIRL MOM MODERN FAMILY LIFE IN PIECES KEVIN CAN WAIT FRESH OFF THE BOAT BLACK-ISH BIG BANG THEORY * Adjusted for inflation
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